budlitebrad Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 (edited) Riffraff posted this already, but I figured it might warrant a separate thread. The New Orleans Saints former security director sued the team Friday, accusing the Super Bowl champions of covering up the theft of prescription painkillers from the team drug locker by two "senior staff members" in 2009. Geoff Santini, a retired FBI special agent, resigned from the Saints in August. In a statement Friday, the team called his lawsuit a shakedown. "A former employee who resigned just before the 2009 regular season threatened to go public with these unfounded charges unless we agreed to pay him an exorbitant sum of money," said Greg Bensel, vice president of communications for the Saints. "We refused, and now he has gone public. We will aggressively defend these false allegations in court." In a 12-page lawsuit filed in Jefferson Parish, Santini claims that he was forced to quit because he wouldn't cooperate with his bosses' orders to keep quiet about stolen Vicodin pills linked to two senior staff members. The two senior staffers are not named in the lawsuit, which says that both were taking the pills from a drug cabinet. During a four-month period in 2009, about 130 Vicodin pills went unaccounted for, Santini said, including a night in April when his hidden camera caught one of the two senior staffers stealing Vicodin from the cabinet at the team's facility in Metairie. According to PFT, multiple sources are saying that the two "senior staff members" are Sean Payton and assistant head coach/linebackers coach Joe Vitt. If true... oof. Edited May 1, 2010 by budlitebrad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowboutthemCowboys Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 spokesman says " false allegation", accuser says he has it on tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.K.Trey Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 tell Payton if he gets Meachem more involved in the offense , I got a couple left over from my surgery I can give to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 cheaters! they must now forfeit the Super Bowl. Colts are champs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piratesownninjas Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 tell Payton if he gets Meachem more involved in the offense , I got a couple left over from my surgery I can give to him. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAYER Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 tell Payton if he gets Meachem more involved in the offense , I got a couple left over from my surgery I can give to him. +1 Talked to Sean and he said he'll take them, but he is being watched. Said to forward all pain medication to me and he will make arrangements to pick them up from me. send a pm and i will pm my addy back to you. Also not to worry Meacham will be more involved this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinity Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 cheaters! they must now forfeit the Super Bowl. Colts are champs! Way better idea. let them keep this super bowl. But just start doing crazy amounts of pain killers/pills and when you get caught. Blame it on the Saints. Lawsuit......people sue over the worst things ever. I think we will get some money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 Just so it's clear, this is a civil suit. The accusations were already investigated & no charges filed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budlitebrad Posted May 3, 2010 Author Share Posted May 3, 2010 Peter King's summary/analysis in MMQB http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writ....html?eref=sihp Apparently the results of the DEA investigation are still pending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 Just so it's clear, this is a civil suit. The accusations were already investigated & no charges filed. Just like Roethlisberger.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Suit: Zero Evidence Linking Payton To Drug Abuse. It's looking more & more like this guy was just out for a big payday. I've also heard that Vitt was sent to rehab after the whole ordeal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetsfan Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Just like Roethlisberger.......... Ben is black, that is why he was singled out. :racism: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Ex-security director withdraws lawsuit by Brett Martel / Associated Press wwltv.com Posted on May 13, 2010 at 12:05 PM Updated today at 12:48 PM GRETNA, La. -- Former New Orleans Saints security director Geoffrey Santini withdrew his lawsuit against the club on Thursday because the team's lawyers are sending the matter to arbitration. Santini's motion to dismiss the lawsuit stated that Saints attorneys waited more than a week after the lawsuit was initially filed to advise Santini they intended to invoke an arbitration clause in his employment contract rather than fight his civil lawsuit in district court. In the lawsuit, which was filed April 30, Santini claimed the Saints attempted to cover up both the theft and improper distribution of prescription Vicodin pills at the team's facility. Santini's lawyer, Donald Hyatt II, said going to arbitration blocks either side from publicly discussing the case. For now, the move also at least temporarily blocks the public release of video and audio recordings that Santini said he made to protect himself and others who were participating in the alleged cover-up for fear of losing their jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myhousekey Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 So in other words....we did something wrong, but now you'll never find out what exactly went down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 So in other words....we did something wrong, but now you'll never find out what exactly went down. I think it's obvious that someone in the Saints org did something wrong. It's pretty clear Vitt was taking pills & got caught. It's questionable that Loomis actually took measures to cover it up and that Payton was even involved. I think this move is more about keeping Santini's trap shut with the media and trying to build his case with public opinion. To be honest, I don't think Santini has a leg to stand on in this suit. Nor do I think there will be enough evidence or a big enough case for authorities to make any charges. I think the big question now is what the NFL plans to do, but since they've known about the incident since last June I'm not sure they will do anything at this point either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budlitebrad Posted May 13, 2010 Author Share Posted May 13, 2010 I think it's obvious that someone in the Saints org did something wrong. It's pretty clear Vitt was taking pills & got caught. It's questionable that Loomis actually took measures to cover it up and that Payton was even involved. I think this move is more about keeping Santini's trap shut with the media and trying to build his case with public opinion. To be honest, I don't think Santini has a leg to stand on in this suit. Nor do I think there will be enough evidence or a big enough case for authorities to make any charges. I think the big question now is what the NFL plans to do, but since they've known about the incident since last June I'm not sure they will do anything at this point either. Yea, unless the DEA finds something worth filing charges over, this is probably the last we'll hear of it. Gotta protect the shield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Yea, unless the DEA finds something worth filing charges over, this is probably the last we'll hear of it. Gotta protect the shield. 130 Vicodin, the DEA probably couldn't really care less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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