Posted on Tue, Jun. 24, 2008
NEW YORK - An attorney for disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy says his client is being vilified by the league's demand for $1.39 million in restitution in his gambling case.
In a letter filed yesterday in Brooklyn federal court, attorney John Lauro renewed his accusation that the league is trying to punish Donaghy for alleging that misconduct by referees is rampant. That's something the NBA denies.
The NBA argues that as part of his sentence, Donaghy should return his wages for games on which he bet or provided tips to gamblers.
It also wants him to pick up a hefty tab from a law firm that interviewed dozens of other referees as part of an internal probe conducted after the scandal broke.