Trump pardons former 49ers owner for involvement in gambling fraud case

(Image credit: Al Messerschmidt/Getty Image)

President Trump on Tuesday issued an executive order pardoning Eddie DeBartolo Jr.

That name might ring a bell for NFL fans — DeBartolo used to own the San Francisco 49ers, overseeing the franchise during its heyday in the 1980s and '90s when the team won five Super Bowls. He eventually passed ownership on to his sister, Denise York, when he pleaded guilty to a felony in 1998.

DeBartolo was involved in the gambling fraud case of former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards, who was eventually sent to prison on racketeering, conspiracy, and extortion charges. DeBartolo testified that he paid Edwards $400,000 to secure a riverboat casino license. DeBartolo himself was charged with failing to report a bribery. He didn't go to prison, but was suspended from the NFL in 1997 and fined $1 million in addition to giving up his ownership. Still, he found his way to Canton, Ohio, when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

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Some of DeBartolo's former players, including legendary 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice, were at the White House on Tuesday. Rice said "I take my hat off" to Trump for the decision. Read more at USA Today and CNN.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.