By Billy House
Media General News Service
Media General News Service
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WASHINGTON -- A lawyer for the U.S. Marshals Service improperly used government cars and deputies to escort himself and Fox Sports broadcasters to and from high-profile sporting events, including the January 2008 National Football League playoff game in Tampa, say investigators.
In addition, the U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Florida, Thomas Hurlburt, personally instructed a deputy to arrange with Tampa police for the lawyer's transport from the Jan. 6, 2008 playoff game at Raymond James Stadium to the airport -- although the man was not doing Marshal’s Service business, a report issued Monday concludes.
The Justice Department report accuses Joseph Band, a lawyer recently retired from the Washington-based “ethics team” at the Marshals Service, of misusing his post at the agency while moonlighting as a statistician for Fox Sports by enlisting deputy marshals to transport him and his friends in motorcades from stadiums.
Events included a Super Bowl in Phoenix, and World Series games in Boston. In the Tampa incident, the report says:
-- Band received transportation by a deputy marshal from the Tampa airport to the Jan. 6, 2008 NFL playoff game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Giants at which he was working as a paid statistician.
-- Band also received a lift from the deputy marshal to the airport after the game, and their Marshals Service vehicle served as the lead car in a motorcade that included the limousines of Fox broadcasters Troy Aikman and Jo Buck.
-- The U.S. Marshal in Tampa, Thomas Hurlburt, personally authorized a deputy marshal to facilitate Band’s departure from the stadium area with local police, “even though Band was not on (Marshals Service) business.”
There was no response from Hurlburt on Monday to the report released by the DOJ’s Inspector General, Glenn Fine.
However, Hurlburt did respond to the investigators findings in a letter dated Dec. 1.
Hurlburt explains that he did not know that Band was a paid employee for Fox Sports.
But he acknowledges that he did contact an unidentified deputy to see “if there was a way to assist Joe Band,” and that the deputy “told me that he did not see a problem and he thought we could liaison with the Tampa Police Department to make it happen.”
“Until I read your agent’s report,” writes Hurlburt, “I had no idea that we facilitated Mr. Aikman and Mr. Buck’s limousine in returning to the airport. Clearly that was improper.”
“In conclusion, what I regret the most is a deputy marshal was put in a circumstance where he was taken advantage of by Mr. Band,” added Hurlburt. “For this, I must accept full responsibility.”
The inspector general’s report finds that Band and his superior, then-acting Massachusetts U.S. Marshal Yvonne Bonner, violated departmental ethics guidelines. But the report notes that U.S. Attorneys’ offices have declined criminal prosecution against Band, who has retired in recent weeks.
The report’s inspectors did not recommend any direct action against Hurlburt or any other U.S. Attorneys that provided assistance when Band requested.
They do suggest that the Marshals’ Service review and reconsider “what appears to us to be a lax attitude about authorizations for outside activities and its failure to ensure that Band was not misusing government resources for his extensive outside activities.”
Lou D'Ermilio, a spokesman for Fox Sports released a statement explaining that, “Mr. Band has worked as a spotter and statistician for FOX and other networks in the past.”
“At select events he did offer transportation to some FOX Sports personnel,” D'Ermilio said.
“We were unaware, however, that those arrangements were in any way inappropriate, and regret to learn now that they apparently were,” he said.
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at 1 (202) 662-7673.
In addition, the U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Florida, Thomas Hurlburt, personally instructed a deputy to arrange with Tampa police for the lawyer's transport from the Jan. 6, 2008 playoff game at Raymond James Stadium to the airport -- although the man was not doing Marshal’s Service business, a report issued Monday concludes.
The Justice Department report accuses Joseph Band, a lawyer recently retired from the Washington-based “ethics team” at the Marshals Service, of misusing his post at the agency while moonlighting as a statistician for Fox Sports by enlisting deputy marshals to transport him and his friends in motorcades from stadiums.
Events included a Super Bowl in Phoenix, and World Series games in Boston. In the Tampa incident, the report says:
-- Band received transportation by a deputy marshal from the Tampa airport to the Jan. 6, 2008 NFL playoff game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Giants at which he was working as a paid statistician.
-- Band also received a lift from the deputy marshal to the airport after the game, and their Marshals Service vehicle served as the lead car in a motorcade that included the limousines of Fox broadcasters Troy Aikman and Jo Buck.
-- The U.S. Marshal in Tampa, Thomas Hurlburt, personally authorized a deputy marshal to facilitate Band’s departure from the stadium area with local police, “even though Band was not on (Marshals Service) business.”
There was no response from Hurlburt on Monday to the report released by the DOJ’s Inspector General, Glenn Fine.
However, Hurlburt did respond to the investigators findings in a letter dated Dec. 1.
Hurlburt explains that he did not know that Band was a paid employee for Fox Sports.
But he acknowledges that he did contact an unidentified deputy to see “if there was a way to assist Joe Band,” and that the deputy “told me that he did not see a problem and he thought we could liaison with the Tampa Police Department to make it happen.”
“Until I read your agent’s report,” writes Hurlburt, “I had no idea that we facilitated Mr. Aikman and Mr. Buck’s limousine in returning to the airport. Clearly that was improper.”
“In conclusion, what I regret the most is a deputy marshal was put in a circumstance where he was taken advantage of by Mr. Band,” added Hurlburt. “For this, I must accept full responsibility.”
The inspector general’s report finds that Band and his superior, then-acting Massachusetts U.S. Marshal Yvonne Bonner, violated departmental ethics guidelines. But the report notes that U.S. Attorneys’ offices have declined criminal prosecution against Band, who has retired in recent weeks.
The report’s inspectors did not recommend any direct action against Hurlburt or any other U.S. Attorneys that provided assistance when Band requested.
They do suggest that the Marshals’ Service review and reconsider “what appears to us to be a lax attitude about authorizations for outside activities and its failure to ensure that Band was not misusing government resources for his extensive outside activities.”
Lou D'Ermilio, a spokesman for Fox Sports released a statement explaining that, “Mr. Band has worked as a spotter and statistician for FOX and other networks in the past.”
“At select events he did offer transportation to some FOX Sports personnel,” D'Ermilio said.
“We were unaware, however, that those arrangements were in any way inappropriate, and regret to learn now that they apparently were,” he said.
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at 1 (202) 662-7673.