Jimmy Haslam Denies Cleveland Browns Sale

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has denied rumours he will sell the NFL team following report his Pilot Flying J company is under a federal investigation into alleged rebate fraud.

He told ESPN Cleveland: “Absolutely not. We plan on owning the Browns for a long time.” he told ESPN Cleveland in a telephone interview.

Haslam has been doing furious damage control since the April 15 raid on company headquarters and the subsequent release of an FBI affidavit with transcripts of secretly recorded conversations among the sales staff. Federal agents say the conversations outline a scheme to defraud trucking companies of fuel rebates.

Five members of the sales staff have pleaded guilty to mail fraud and are cooperating with prosecutors, as are two further current and former Pilot staffers.

A source told ESPN Cleveland that the Browns have a “plan in place” to maintain Haslam’s ownership of the team if he is indicted in the FBI’s investigation. When asked about this, Haslam said, “I don’t want to answer any legal questions.”

“Since October, we put together a completely new front office, hired a new head head coach with two really good coordinators, sold naming rights to the stadium, and went through free agency and the draft,” Haslam told ESPN Cleveland.