Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff has asked Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood to investigate whether Major League Soccer officials violated any criminal or civil laws when they encouraged the county in 2015 to purchase Toyota Field and submit a bid for an expansion franchise in San Antonio — two years after Anthony Precourt, chairman of the Columbus Crew, had obtained a legal right in 2013 to relocate the crew to Austin.
Wolff sent a strongly worded letter on Friday to MLS Commissioner Don Garber informing him of his request to LaHood and expressing deep concern that Precourt and the University of Texas at Austin have now reached an agreement to use UT facilities in 2019.
County officials were taken by surprise two weeks ago when they learned that Precourt was exploring relocating the Columbus Crew to Austin. Two years ago, Wolff and Bexar County Manager David Smith met with MLS Soccer President Mark Abbott, who encouraged them to purchase Toyota Field — an $18 million public investment — and submit a bid. Wolff and Smith also were told that MLS would not establish franchises in both Austin and San Antonio.
"If these reports are accurate, this presents a clear conflict of interest," Wolff wrote to Garber. "Had Bexar County officials been aware of such a right, we would not have invested in Toyota Field."
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