National Football League owners rejected a request by Raiders owner Al Davis to investigate charges that commissioner Paul Tagliabue has taken millions of dollars from the league. The vote was 28-0 in Atlanta on Dec. 1, 1999. The Raiders and Dallas abstained, while Seattle representatives left before the vote.
Davis told reporters afterward he expected the decision and vowed to continue to pursue the case through litigation. "I'm not disappointed," he said following the five-hour owners meeting. "I knew this was futile to begin with."
A suit filed by Davis in Santa Clara (Calif.) County claimed Tagliabue and outgoing NFL president Neil Austrian established an executive compensation fund that now totals nearly $100 million to benefit themselves and some 60 other league officials.
Davis claimed the compensation fund should have been reviewed by the entire group of owners. Instead, according to court documents, the fund was approved by four handpicked owners who were not aware of all the details.
A California judge dismissed the suit, saying the Raiders should follow league rules requiring them to present the case to the full membership. The team followed the requirement, making a 90-minute presentation that included a 60-page document and 325 footnotes to support the case.
