He is one of the most popular and beloved American athletes, but five-time golf champion Phil Mickelson may not be as squeaky-clean as his reputation suggests according to recent reports. A year after Mickelson’s name was connected to insider trading charges involving business mogul Carl Ichan and renowned sports bettor Billy Walters, Mickelson is back in the news again, this time for connection to a high-profile money laundering and sports betting case.
An ESPN Outside the Lines report indicates that the unnamed gambler in the recent money laundering trial of former sports handicapper Greg Silveira was in fact Mickelson. Silveira plead guilty to money laundering charges early in his court proceedings after being charged with moving $2.75 million through a number of bank accounts in order to use it for sports wagering in Las Vegas back in 2010. While the report, authored by ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson confidently names Mickelson as the gambling client in question, Mickelson was not charged with any counts of money laundering himself, as there was no documented correspondence confirming these financial transfers were the result of sports wagering.
Last year, the New York Times reported Mickelson and Walters both benefited financially from stock trades involving Clorox, a company Ichan was reportedly trying to purchase. No charges ever came about from the investigation though, and it appears Mickelson will not be facing any allegations in this instance either.
Pregame.com’s own David Malinsky offers his thoughts on the developing story:
“There are probably few in the higher circles of the sports betting community that will be surprised at the news of Mickelson’s involvement – it has been known for quite some time that he bet, and bet big. But he paid when he lost, and that is the axis this world rotates on. I have never heard anything disreputable about the way that he conducted himself, although that will change now with the acknowledgment of involvement with Greg Silveria, aka “Gordie Deangelo”, “Gordon Michaels” and who knows how many other names. Of course, Mickelson may not have necessarily known who Silveira was, other than someone involved in the chain of getting the money where it needed to be.
If anything, there will be some wry smiles at Silveira getting his comeuppance, but can the national media handle a story like this in a way that does not come back to besmirch Mickelson? He was not charged with a crime because he did not commit one – in the vast majority of states, the placing of a wager on a sporting event is not a crime; it is the accepting of that wager for profit, what is defined as “bookmaking”, that is, along with the money laundering aspects that come with the territory. That is why friends can bet $20 between each other at a bar while watching a game; if no vigorish is involved, then it is not being done “for profit”, and is absolutely legal.”
What will happen to Lefty following this latest legal tale? Will the mass media understand he did nothing illegal, or will this be something that tarnishes his reputation for years to come?