Last year’s Saints bounty scandal nearly made everyone forget about the team’s 2010 Vicodin scandal. And it definitely made everyone forget about a scandal from 2009 regarding movie tax credits that didn’t exist.
According to the Associated Press, coach Sean Payton has settled a lawsuit against former Saints long snapper Kevin Houser, who solicited investments from teammates and coaches under the assumption that Louisiana Film Studios, LLC, would apply for and receive tax credits.
The investment was supposed to generate a 33-percent return, which means it was way too good to be true.
Still, lawyer Daniel Becnel Jr. said that Payton received a “substantial” settlement. While Becnel declined to provide details based on the confidential nature of the transaction, Becnel said "[w]e got exactly what we wanted and demanded and they paid it.”
So, basically, the details can be extrapolated based on any court filings showing what Payton wanted. He originally sued Houser for $144,000.
Others who lost money included Drew Brees, Scott Shanle, Jeremy Shockey, Mitch Berger, Charles Grant, and New Orleans icon Archie Manning. It’s unclear whether and to what extent other settlements or judgments have been secured.
In 2012, a federal appeals court ruled that Berger must pursue his claims through arbitration. Claims filed by Payton, Grant, and Shockey weren’t affected by the ruling.
Houser, who had spent nine years with the team, was cut once the scam came to light. (He later signed with the Seahawks.) Wayne Read, who ran the film company, ultimately was sentenced to four years in prison on fraud charges.