Fox Sports Celebs Driven on Taxpayers' Dime

Jan. 12, 2008— -- A then-U.S. Marshals employee misused taxpayer dollars while working as a Fox Sports statistician by arranging the use of the service's vehicles and resources to transport network commentators including Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and Troy Aikman, according to a new inspector general report on the matter.

The Marshals Service is best known for tracking down fugitives and providing judicial security. The Justice Department inspector general reviewed allegations that Joseph Band, a former attorney in the Marshals Service office of general counsel, arranged for U.S. marshals to transport celebrities from Fox Sports to and from sporting events on more than five occasions.

The investigation was opened after an anonymous tip that deputy U.S. marshals had transported Fox Sports commentators Buck and McCarver from Fenway Park as part of a detail reportedly arranged by Band and acting U.S. marshal Yvonne Bonner.

Bonner had authorized two deputies to assist Band while he was working part time as a statistician for Fox Sports while at the World Series in Boston, the report said. Although the deputies were removed from the press box area by a Red Sox official after Game 1 of the World Series, two deputies escorted McCarver's limousine from Fenway Park to the Four Seasons hotel with "their emergency lights on as they were attempting to work their way out of the immediate area of Fenway Park," according to the report.

During Game 2 Band reportedly tried to get the marshals to stay in the press box and handed note pads to the two deputies "to make it look like they were busy so they would not be asked to leave the press area," according to the report. The marshals were eventually asked to leave the press box by a Fox Sports official and walked around the historic ballpark for the duration of the game.

According to the report, the marshals encountered another deputy who was assigned to the FBI's joint terrorism task force, who told the Inspector General's Office that one of the deputies seemed nervous about the detail and told her, "This is all f-- up. Something's not right here." According to the report the woman deputy said one of the marshals on the detail "told her that Band had directed him to make telephone calls to find out about weather conditions, such as humidity levels at Fenway Park."

According to the review, "Band said he knew that the [deputy U.S. marshals], whom he considered to be off duty, had used USMS [U.S. Marshals Service] vehicles to attend the games and transport him but he said that he saw nothing improper about such activity."

U.S. Marshal Arranges Transortation for Sports Celebs

"Band has since tendered his retirement papers and is no longer employed by the U.S. Marshals Service," Carter said.

Fox Sports Vice President for Communications Dan Bell issued a statement to ABC News, noting that Band has worked for the network in the past, and that "At select events he did offer transportation to some FOX Sports personnel."

"We were unaware, however, that those arrangements were in any way inappropriate, and regret to learn now that they apparently were," he continued.

The review found other numerous instances where Band requested marshals resources, including a January 2008 playoff game between the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 2007 BCS College football championship, last year's Super Bowl and the 2007 Major League Baseball All Star Game.

"We concluded that Band regularly and inappropriately solicited and received assistance of USMS resources for his personal activities, in violation of government ethics rules," the Inspector General's Office review stated. At the Jan. 8, 2007 college championship game, Band gave a U.S. marshal who transported him around Phoenix some paper in the press box at the game and "told him to make a grid or chart for Band's use in tracking statistic during the game."

The deputy, who charged overtime for attending the event, told the Inspector General's Office, "It was very strange."

In another incident, Band arranged for a U.S. marshal to transport Aikman and Buck to last year's Super Bowl game in Phoenix. According to the report, the deputy assisting Band parked in the general parking lot and "worked with stadium security to secure golf carts to ride Aikman, Buck and the others when the game was over through the general parking lot to the [marshal's] vehicle."

Band told the inspector general that he did not remember if the marshals had provided escorts at the game. In one instance after requesting a marshal's transport, the U.S. marshal in San Francisco told Band to "take a taxi."

According to the report, "Band was mixing his statistician activities with his official duties including using government telephones to conduct statistician business while on government time."

Inspector General's Investigation

In a Dec. 5, 2008 comment about the inspector general's investigation the deputy director of the Marshals Service, Brian Beckwith, wrote to Inspector General Glenn Fine, "The USMS agrees additional steps should be taken to ensure all employees are aware of the need for formal authorization of outside employment or activities. ?The Human Resources Division and the Office of General Counsel will work together to promulgate policy changes that will strengthen our procedure and oversight."

Jacob Stein, Band's attorney, signed a comment on Band's activity, which is included in the report.

"He was granted permission by the U.S. Marshals Services for government personnel to take time off for the events he covered. The alleged misuse of resources consisted of telephone calls, e-mails and other such incidentals and are of no moment in an investigation in which employees spent time. ? Mr. Band had no control, knowledge or decision-making discretion with respect to the use of any government vehicle or government personnel," it said.

According to the inspector general, the U.S. Attorney's Offices in Boston and the Eastern District of Virginia declined criminal prosecution in the matter.