Walsh Takes Story to Goodell, Senate
Former Pats Video Assistant Receives Indemnity for Testimony in Spygate Case
May 13, 2008 -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and former New England Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh met for more than three hours on Tuesday to discuss what Walsh knew about the Patriots' videotaping practices in the Spygate controversy.
The discussion between Walsh and Goodell was scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. ET in New York and ended shortly before 11 a.m. Walsh had a meeting scheduled in Washington later Tuesday with Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., on the same subject.
Goodell and Specter each planned to hold a news conference after meeting with Walsh. Specter, the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has been critical of the NFL's handling of the investigation.
Before Goodell's expected news conference, the league played for the media the tapes Walsh provided. The clips were cut from shots of opposing coaches going through their signals in games against the Patriots.
Goodell arrived at 6:38 a.m. ET on Tuesday at the NFL's offices on Park Avenue in New York. He stopped briefly to speak with reporters, but did not address what he expected to hear from Walsh before entering the building.
Walsh, wearing a somber expression and accompanied by his attorney, Michael N. Levy, and two other men, arrived at 280 Park Ave. at 7:25 a.m. Levy declined comment to reporters on Walsh's behalf, noting that Walsh's agreement with the NFL requires him to talk to the league before he speaks with anyone else.
After the meeting, Levy said Walsh was flying to Washington for his meeting with Specter and would not take part in the NFL news conference.
"Mr. Walsh is pleased he has had the opportunity to assist the NFL," Levy said. "Out of respect for Sen. Specter, neither Mr. Walsh nor I will speak with the media prior to meeting with the Senator."
Walsh agreed to turn the tapes over to Goodell and the NFL last week. He suggested in January that he had information about the team's policy of taping the signals of opposing coaches.
Related Stories
ABC News Live