Late last week, the NCAA was expected to release the findings of an external review into improper conduct committed by its enforcement staff during its investigation of the Miami athletics program.
Per one report, that issue of misconduct involved the NCAA’s vice president of enforcement, Julie Roe Lach, approving the payment of at least $20,000 to the attorney of former UM booster, Nevin Shapiro, in exchange for information relevant to the investigation.
Those findings are expected to be made public today in a 2 p.m. teleconference. Likely not a part of that phone call will be Lach. According to a Yahoo! report from Charles Robinson and Pat Forde, Lach has been fired. She’s been with the NCAA since 1998.
Assuming the report is true and that Lach really is, uh, “finished” -- and there’s little reason to believe she isn’t -- chances are the results of the external investigation led by the law firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft aren’t too promising. The NCAA has already delayed the release of a Notice of Allegations to Miami because of the alleged misconduct. Keep in mind this investigation has been going on for about two years and Miami has self-imposed two postseason bans, likely in an effort to soften any potential blow inflicted by the NCAA.
Shapiro’s attorney, Elena Perez, reportedly deposed two individuals tied to the Miami investigation – former Miami equipment manager Sean Allen and agent Michael Huyghue -- in Dec., 2011, as part of a bankruptcy suit. She’s denied any wrongdoing.
Shapiro is currently serving jail time for orchestrating a $1 billion Ponzi scheme.