NFL Responds To Flake-McCain Paid Patriotism Investigation By Returning $723,000 To Taxpayers

Press Release

U.S. Senators Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and John McCain (R-AZ) announced that they have received a commitment from the National Football League (NFL) for the return of taxpayer dollars paid by the Department of Defense (DOD) to NFL clubs to honor military service members at league games and events.

In a letter dated May 18, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell notified Senators Flake and McCain that an external audit to evaluate the contracts between NFL clubs and the DOD "identified $723,734 over those four seasons that may have been mistakenly applied to appreciation activities rather than recruitment efforts. This amount will be promptly returned in full to the taxpayers."

The NFL's audit came in response to a November 2015 joint oversight report in which both senators exposed widespread evidence that the DOD has been paying professional sports teams in the NFL, Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and Major League Soccer (MLS) to honor American soldiers at sporting events. The report showed 72 of the 122 contracts amounting to $6.8 million contained some form of paid patriotism, though the specific cost of individual paid patriotism activities within those contracts remained unclear. Certain contracts showed that DOD paid for specific activities including on-field color guard performances, enlistment and re-enlistment ceremonies, performances of the national anthem, full-field flag details, and ceremonial first pitches and puck drops. The full report is here.

"In all the years I've spent trying to root out egregious federal spending, the NFL is the first organization to perform due diligence, take responsibility, and return funds to the taxpayers," said Senator Flake. "The NFL's response to this investigation sets a new standard and only strengthens its reputation as a supporter of military service members and veterans."

"I applaud the NFL's audit in response to our oversight investigation into "paid patriotism.' Returning the $723,000 is the right thing to do," said Senator McCain. "But the NFL is only one of several sports leagues we identified that accepted money from the Pentagon in return for honoring our troops. The other organizations -- Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer -- should also conduct an audit and return the money or donate it to service members, veterans and their families. We'll be working to once again include language in the defense authorization bill that would fully ensure the Defense Department never again spends American tax dollars to honor our troops."

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