Photo Credit: Alex Shute
Trump pardoned former Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke, who was indicted by the president’s own DOJ for allegedly rigging bids. So, what’s next for the live event venue mogul?
After Oak View Group co-founder Tim Leiweke was indicted by federal prosecutors for allegedly rigging bids on a University of Texas arena project, Donald Trump was quick to pardon the company’s ex-CEO. That’s in spite of the fact that it was Trump’s own DOJ that indicted Leiweke in the first place.
But what does this mean for Leiweke’s CEO position? Oak View Group (OVG) already announced the permanent appointment of formerly interim CEO Chris Granger, following Leiweke’s resignation after the charges were filed.
Typically, removing a CEO must be done for “cause”—a clearly defined breach or failure to meet a performance-related benchmark, primarily. But in OVG’s case, Leiweke stepped down and was not reinstated.
Meanwhile, Leiweke was altogether scrubbed from Oak View’s website, further asserting that the co-founder will not be reinstated. The group’s statement on the matter also lends to this.
“We are happy for Tim that he can now put this matter behind him. OVG has remained steadfastly focused on delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients under the leadership of our CEO Chris Granger,” said an Oak View Group spokesperson.
Leiweke was reportedly lobbying for his pardon. CNN says that his legal team included longtime Trump ally and former Representative Trey Gowdy, who headed the lobbying efforts. It’s a notable choice of representation, given Leiweke’s past criticism of Trump on social media. He called Trump the world’s “single greatest con man” in a now-deleted post on the former Twitter.
More recently, Leiweke spoke of his “profound gratitude” to Trump. “This has been a long and difficult journey for my wife, my daughter, and me. The President has given us a new lease on life, with which we will be grateful and good stewards,” he said in a statement.
In July, the DOJ accused Leiweke of offering subcontracts to a rival company as they sought the rights to develop an arena at the University of Texas. Oak View Group ultimately won the bid to build the Moody Center in 2019, and currently operates the venue.
Leiweke co-founded Oak View Group in 2015. He spent the majority of his career in sports management and previously served as president of the Denver Nuggets from 1991 to 1995. He also served as the CEO of the company that owns stakes in the Los Angeles Lakers and Kings, as well as serving as CEO of the company that owns the Toronto Maple Leafs and Raptors.
