Browns owner and Pilot Flying J CEO Jimmy Haslam again denied any wrongdoing Friday and said he wasn’t stepping aside from his truck stop chain, a day after an FBI affidavit alleged his company had defrauded customers with diesel fuel rebates. According to court documents, leaders of Pilot’s sales team derided some clients as unsophisticated, lazy and undeserving of rebates. Sales team members said Haslam, who is the older brother of Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, was aware of at least some instances of employees withholding diesel fuel price rebates and discounts from Pilot customers to boost the company’s profits and sales commissions, FBI special agent Robert H. Root said in an affidavit. He said the practice was known by a variety of euphemisms including “jacking the discount†and “screwing†the customer. Haslam shrugged off suggestions he might step down as the CEO of Pilot. “I thought to myself, ‘Well, why would I do that?’ Candidly, I haven’t done anything wrong, No. 1,†Haslam said Friday afternoon as he addressed the media at the company’s headquarters in Knoxville. “No. 2, if there’s ever a time the company needs our leadership, it’s right now.†Source: Akron Beacon Journal
No, but if a player getting arrested gets fined/suspended for hurting the image of the NFL, the same type of punishment must apply to management.
and keep in mind that it was the league that approved him as an owner very recently so they really have no one to blame but themselves.
