Feds have to preserve the integrity of the game.
Via The Hill
Federal investigators are recommending charges against at least one St. Louis Cardinals employee for allegedly intruding on a rival baseball team’s database, a report says.
The investigation accuses one or more Cardinals employees of accessing a Houston Astros database tracking player development, according to CNN.
It is also probing whether senior Cardinals management was aware of the spying.
CNN said one or more Cardinals front-office staffers might have violated federal law by accessing the Astros’ database, known as Ground Control.
The potential breach came after former Cardinals employee Jeff Luhnow left to be Houston’s general manager.
The investigation accuses the Cardinals of then unfairly prying into the Astros’ database amid concerns Luhnow had taken the Cardinals’ proprietary information to his new employer.
Luhnow has told investigators the Astros generated their own database system independently of his previous work in St. Louis.
Friday’s report follows the Cardinals’ announcement earlier this week that it had fired Chris Correa, the team’s director of scouting.
Correa was one of the investigation’s targets, CNN reported.
Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak refused comment on his former employee’s release Thursday.
“I can confirm he was on administrative leave and was terminated yesterday,” he said Friday.
“I think, at this time, it’s just best to understand that it’s an open investigation and any other comments are not in anybody’s best interest,” Mozeliak added.
CNN said the FBI’s Houston office has completed its inquiry and is now awaiting action from the U.S. Attorney’s office.