St. Louis politician alleges pro-stadium forces sought to bribe council for vote
St. Louis built the Edward Jones Dome in hopes of luring an NFL team back to the city during the 1990s. Now it is in a fight with the very city it took the Rams from, Los Angeles, for the future of the same franchise.
At the head of the fight is the aging and inadequate Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. There is an effort underway in the city to find a new home for the team and keep the Rams from bolting for a proposed stadium in Los Angeles.
However, St. Louis' actions allegedly have come with a nasty side effect -- bribery.
Alderwoman Megan-Ellyia Green says some of those who want St. Louis to build a new stadium for the Rams have sought to bribe the city council.
This allegation comes on the heels of a key vote for the financing of the stadium, which went 7-2 in favor of the proposed $1 billion package.
#STL Alderwoman @MeganEllyia press release about contacting @FBI with bribery allegations for #STLNFL stadium vote pic.twitter.com/1Wwy0J0ddN
— Staci D Kramer (@sdkstl) December 11, 2015
Green alleges that proponents of the new stadium deal were approaching family members in attempt to have them influence her vote. According to the allegation made to the FBI, the attempted bribe was made by someone with a significant financial interest in a new stadium.
However, the approved package may not even be enough to keep the Rams in St. Louis. As reported by FOX Sports:
In an interview Thursday with Bernie Miklasz on radio station WXOS-FM, NFL Executive Vice President Eric Grubman said the city “will fall short of having a compelling proposal that would attract the Rams.” Grubman said the proposed stadium will “cost more than is at the drawing board at the moment, the funding has declined and new taxes are being proposed to the Rams.”
Rams owner Stan Kroenke has longed to move the team from the city for the much more lucrative market in Los Angeles. However, he isn’t in full control of that move, with the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders also in the mix for a move to LA.
Ultimately, the decision on who gets to go to LA comes down to the rest of the NFL owners.
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