U.S. President Donald Trump granted a pardon to Tim Leiweke on Wednesday, following his indictment by the Justice Department while Leiweke was serving as the former president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. The indictment accused Leiweke of participating in a scheme to manipulate the bidding process for an arena project at a public university in Austin, Texas.
Although Leiweke maintained his innocence, Trump issued a “full and conditional pardon” in a clemency announcement that did not elaborate on the reasons for overturning the case. Leiweke was facing a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $1 million in the United States.
Subsequently, Leiweke resigned as the CEO of Oak View Group, a company focused on sports and real estate that he helped establish, due to the legal charges. Before his tenure at OVG, Leiweke held the position of MLSE chief from 2013 to 2015. The firm manages numerous venues throughout North America, including the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Canada Life Place in London, Ontario, and the recently revamped TD Coliseum in Hamilton.
