In response to the hollow settlement offer from the woman accusing Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of sexual assault, Roethlisberger hasn’t simply said “no thanks.”
Keeping with the trend of pounding away mercilessly at the claims, lawyer David Cornwell has issued a statement that rejects the offer in aggressive and colorful terms.
Here it is:
“Ms. McNulty’s contemporaneous statements and conduct prove her allegations are false.
Against this backdrop, her proposal is bizarre and it insults women who have legitimately
suffered from sexual misconduct. We will not participate in a destructive farce.
“We offered Ms. McNulty a graceful exit. Apparently, Mr. Dunlap convinced her that
they can dig themselves out of this rancid hole. The ‘settlement’ offer is rejected. We
will continue to press our defenses and claims and pursue our application for sanctions.”
The reference to a “graceful exit” implies that, at some point, a modest cash payment was offered in exchange for a dismissal of the claims. By all appearances, any offers from the Roethlisberger camp are off the table, and the case will now proceed.