This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
Former Denver Nuggets president Timothy Leiweke has received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, clearing him of federal antitrust charges related to a massive sports and entertainment venue in Texas.
Leiweke is a well-known figure in Colorado sports, helping to stabilize the Nuggets franchise in the 1990s before it was sold to current owner Stan Kroenke, of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment.
His influence later expanded nationwide. In 2015, he co-founded Oak View Group, a Denver-based venue development and management company that went on to build and operate venues similar to Ball Arena across the country. He’s often credited with reshaping how professional sports teams and musical artists share large-scale venues to create cross-revenue channels.
However, earlier this year, Leiweke found himself in hot water when federal prosecutors charged him and Oak View Group with rigging bids in the construction of the Moody Center, a major concert and sports venue project at the University of Texas at Austin.
Prosecutors in that case alleged Leiweke conspired with a rival developer to manipulate bids and guarantee Oak View Group’s selection for the project. They said the conduct undermined fair competition and public trust, thus violating federal antitrust laws.
The case carried potential prison time and steep financial penalties, causing Leiweke to step down as Oak View Group’s CEO in July amid the investigation, though he claimed innocence throughout.
Initially, U.S. Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater, who leads the Justice Department's antitrust division, said the charges were part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on unfair practices in the live entertainment industry.
Now, the presidential pardon issued Tuesday nullifies the charges against Leiweke. The move adds him to a growing list of prominent sports figures granted clemency by the president this year, including former MLB star Darryl Strawberry and former owner of the British soccer club Tottenham Hotspur, Joe Lewis.
