Report: Former president Donald Trump accused of trying to intervene to stop Patriots Spygate scandal

Back in September 2007, the New England Patriots were caught violating league rules when they illegally videotaped their opponents’ defensive coaching signals during a regular season game versus the New York Jets.

That, along with the league’s controversial response to what was dubbed as the Spygate scandal, caused quite a stir that former Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter launched an investigation into the incident.

According to Specter’s son, former president Donald Trump attempted to stop the probe.

“But recently and unexpectedly, there’s been movement in the quest,” wrote Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham of ESPN. “Follow-up conversations with the people closest to Arlen Specter — his oldest son, Shanin, a Philadelphia personal injury and medical malpractice attorney, and Charles Robbins, Specter’s trusted longtime communications aide and the ghostwriter of two Specter memoirs — revealed this: The man who dangled campaign cash if Specter were to drop the Spygate inquiry was none other than Donald J. Trump.

 

“Not only that: Trump had told Specter he was acting on behalf of Robert Kraft.”

Trump is known for his longstanding support of the Patriots as well as his close friendships with team owner Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick and former star quarterback Tom Brady.

The Patriots and Belichick were fined $250,000 and $500,000, respectively, by the league because of the incident. They eventually lost in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants during that season.