National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell has tapped former New Jersey Attorney General Peter Harvey to determine whether Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson should get a tougher punishment than a six-game suspension for alleged sexual assaults, according to ESPN reporter Adam Schefter.
The NFL wants to suspend Watson for the entire 2022 season after the football player was accused of sexually assaulting 25 women between March 2020 and March 2021 Watson has settled about 20 of the civil lawsuits he was facing but has denied any misconduct.
Harvey, who served as attorney general from 2003 to 2006, is no stranger to sports scandals.
While serving as the state’s top law enforcement official, Harvey was fined $1,500 by the New Jersey Ethics Commission for accepting free ringside tickets to a boxing event in Atlantic City. The attorney general’s office is responsible for regulating the boxing industry in New Jersey.
Gov. Richard Codey and U.S. Attorney Chris Christie both accused Harvey of bungling high-profile corruption cases.
After leaving state government, Harvey served on the NFL Diversity Advisory Committee and the Department of Justice picked him to serve as the Newark Police Department’s independent monitor.