Former FBI Director Louis Freeh has released his report into the coverup of Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse of children by Joe Paterno and others at Penn State University, and it’s a devastating indictment of the university’s former leadership. And now Freeh will move on to another investigation, of the New Orleans Saints.
As we noted last month, Saints owner Tom Benson has hired Freeh to conduct a top-to-bottom investigation of the Saints, focusing both on the accusation that Saints G.M. Mickey Loomis rigged his box at the Superdome to allow him to eavesdrop on opposing coaches, and on the bounty case.
From all indications, Freeh conducted a thorough investigation that pulled no punches and did no favors to anyone at Penn State. He and his investigative team appeared interested only in getting to the truth of what happened, and not at all in protecting Paterno, former Penn State administrators, or anyone whose reputation might be damaged by the investigation’s findings.
Given that, it’s fair to conclude that if there’s dirt to be found with the Saints, Freeh will find it.
With both the wiretapping allegations against Loomis and the Saints bounty case, many questions remain about just what happened, and what kind of evidence exists to support the conclusions that have been drawn. Just as he has at Penn State, Freeh may be able to shed new light on what really took place in New Orleans.