Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill accused of cheating, discrimination, and harassment: report
TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill has reportedly been accused of cheating, discrimination, and harassment by a former front office executive.
Terry McDonough filed an arbitration claim on Tuesday to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, ESPN reported.
In the claim, McDonough alleges that he and former Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks were instructed by Bidwill to use burner phones to communicate with the team's then-general manager, Steve Keim, while he was serving a suspension following a DUI arrest.
McDonough claims he still has the phone used in the scheme. He worked 10 seasons for the Cardinals front office, including several years as vice president of player personnel.
Wilks was fired after just one season as the team's head coach. Last year, he joined a lawsuit accusing the NFL of racial discrimination in its hiring practices.
Keim left the team in January and was replaced by Monti Ossenfort.
TEMPE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 16: Owner Michael Bidwill of the Arizona Cardinals answers a question from the media during a press conference introducing new head coach Jonathan Gannon at Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center on February 16, 20 (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Jim McCarthy, who serves as an external public relations advisor to the Cardinals, released a statement denying McDonough's claims.
"We are reluctantly obliged to provide a public response along with broader context for some disappointing and irresponsible actions by Terry McDonough," read a portion of McCarthy's statement. "Claims he has made in an arbitration filing are wildly false, reckless, and an opportunistic ploy for financial gain. Here is our view on the matter."
McDonough also claims that Bidwill treated employees poorly, including "reducing two pregnant women to tears" after screaming at them.
McDonough alleges that Bidwill's workplace misconduct is worse than that of Robert Sarver, the former owner of the Phoenix Suns who was fined and suspended by the NBA for "workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies."
Sarver sold the Suns and Mercury franchises to mortgage executive Mat Ishbia.
The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report.