A high-profile U.S. sports executive pardoned by Donald Trump in December, following an indictment for allegedly rigging a bidding process, has bought a minority stake in Championship club Bolton Wanderers, subject to regulatory approval.

Tim Leiweke was accused by the Department of Justice last summer of orchestrating a conspiracy to put off a rival bid for the construction of a sports arena at the University of Texas so that his own company, Oak View Group (OVG), could win the $375million contract.

In the wake of the indictment, Leiweke stepped down as OVG’s chief executive and the company agreed to pay $15m in penalties for its part in the arena scheme. But, six months later, while DoJ antitrust lawyers were preparing their case against him, Leiweke was quietly pardoned by Trump, with no explanation as to why he was shutting the corruption case down.

The following day, Leiweke gave a statement to the Sports Business Journal that said he did not “have the words to adequately convey my profound gratitude to President Trump”, before adding that the pardon had given him and his family “a new lease on life with which we will be grateful and good stewards”.

Leiweke has wasted little time on delivering on that promise. In May, the 69-year-old invested €100million ($114m; £85m) in newly-promoted Serie A side Venezia, with his daughter Francesca Bodie becoming the club’s president. Last month, he was blocked from buying a 16 per cent stake Benfica, as the Portuguese club’s board raised concerns about being part of a multi-club group.

And now Leiweke, his daughter and former OVG executive Keegan McDonald have formed a new entity called Entrepreneur Equity Partners to buy a stake in Bolton, who were promoted back to English football’s second tier via the play-offs last season.

Bolton gained promotion to the Championship last season (Michael Steele/Getty Images)

If approved by the new Independent Football Regulator, Leiweke will join the board, with McDonald becoming a board observer. They will sit alongside the majority-shareholder Nick Luckock and fellow minority shareholders Sharon Brittan, the club’s chair, and Michael James.

Brittan, James and Luckock, under the guise of Football Ventures, rescued the former Premier League side from bankruptcy in 2019 and have guided the club back from League Two, the fourth tier, to the Championship.

“I have always believed that reaching the Championship would not be the end of our journey but the point at which we looked for the right partners to help us solidify our position there,” said Brittan in a statement published on the club website on Friday. “In EEP, we have found a partner who understands our town, our community and the way we do things, who shares our vision for the future and brings real, proven experience of successfully building clubs and bringing supporters closer to the team.”

A long-time associate of billionaire businessman Philip Anschutz, Leiweke was president of Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) between 1996 and 2013. At the time, AEG owned the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy and a stake in the NBA’s Lakers, as well several arenas, including the O2 in London.

Leiweke (left) has extensive experience in sports after being president of AEG (Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)

He then spent two years in charge of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the owner of Toronto’s NBA, NHL and MLS franchises, before founding OVG in 2015. The company manages numerous sports venues around the world, including several that it has built.

In the press release that announced the Bolton deal, Leiweke said he and his EEP partners were at Wembley to witness the team’s promotion “and the support we saw from the fans that day told us everything we needed to know” about the club and its fanbase.

“We are here to honour that legacy and those supporters and take this club to the next level,” he added. “We will be bringing the best of what we have learnt as partners to many leading global teams to make Bolton Wanderers stronger than ever before. We are proud to join at this stage of this club’s incredible journey.”

Neither he nor the club, however, mentioned the pardon, without which this deal would almost certainly be blocked.

When asked if the pardon will be the crucial factor in approving Leiweke, the IFR told The Athletic it does not comment on its Owners, Directors and Senior Executives test assessments but explained that its final decisions are published on its website.

The Athletic has approached Bolton and Leiweke for comment.

Decisions, decisions! You could argue that no player in NBA history has made more impactful ones than LeBron James, at least when it comes to free agency. LeBron has now had four major decisions in his career, and they’ve all sent sizable ripples through the league.

With James deciding to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers and join forces with Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey, we think this is the final chapter and team of his historic journey. But assuming this is it for now, let’s rank LeBron’s four major free-agency decisions and discuss their place in history.

1. Back to Cleveland in 2014 (Decision No. 2)

This has to be the biggest one, right? Yes, the first decision definitely made more waves, but this was the best chapter of his story.

James scorned his home area of Northeast Ohio, with Akron and Cleveland as his only homes, to that point. He left for the glitz and glamour of Miami, a complete 180 from Ohio. They had to watch him win championships with his new team, and the Cavs weren’t much closer to competing four years after LeBron left than when he departed. The proclamation of not one, “not two, not three, not four …” was only partially fulfilled, and it was just assumed that James would remain in Miami with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade for a long time winning titles.

All of a sudden, at the end of the Miami run, things started to fray, and it was no longer a certainty that James would keep his talents in South Beach. In 2014, Twitter was rife with sleuths tracking planes and spilling information they heard from third cousin’s friends who knew a guy that knew a guy who heard from their barista about LeBron coming back. The collective sports-watching world became internet stalkers.

Then James had the iconic Sports Illustrated cover with the “I’m Coming Home” title. It became a meme — and a new hope for Cleveland.

James was set to join Kyrie Irving, and then the Cavs traded for Kevin Love, moving No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins. This signing was all about catharsis, making amends and righting what so many people felt was a wrong back in 2010. Whether or not that was correct, that was the big feeling. James had promised Cleveland and Cavs fans a championship and left before completing that.

The 2016 championship and the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history helped boost this to the top. The Cavs forgave, and James delivered.

• Anticipation: 10/10
• Shock value: 10/10
• Level of contender joining: 8/10
• Supporting cast: 9/10 (with Love’s acquisition)
• Delivery: 10/10
• Final score: 47/50

2. Taking his talents to South Beach in 2010 (Decision No. 1)

“The Decision” may still be the biggest decision of LeBron’s career for many basketball fans. It’s hard to fault them for feeling this way. The spectacle of it all was as trailblazing as it was hated. James sitting down at the Boys & Girls Club of America in Connecticut as Jim Gray sat across from him was supposed to be inspiring. It was supposed to focus on what James was doing with the next stage of his career, while also raising a tremendous amount of money for a good cause. The whole thing was being followed by everybody in the sports world, dying to know which team James would choose on a live broadcast on ESPN.

Miami, Cleveland, Chicago, New York and even New Jersey were all big-time bidders. Sure, they could only offer up the max contract at the time, but everything pitched to LeBron was about where he could win championships and how he could further his legacy. Cleveland pitched staying home and finishing the job of winning a title. Chicago pitched coming to the organization where Michael Jordan won.

New York pitched coming to Madison Square Garden and bringing the Knicks back to championship status. Miami pitched teaming up with his good friend Wade to form the best duo in the league. And New Jersey? Well, the Nets had a Russian billionaire just trying to make massive moves.

When James delivered the infamous “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach” line, the internet and sports world exploded with vitriol. He immediately went from most sought-after free agent ever to the scourge of the NBA (outside of Miami). Jerseys were burned. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert wrote a ridiculous letter in Comic Sans and posted it on the team website until James came back in 2014.

So many people said he was taking the easy way out. But James was trusting Pat Riley, Wade and Bosh to get him the championships he needed to truly jump-start his legacy. It’s one of the biggest moments in sports history, and it seemed to thrust player empowerment into a mutating form.

But James did what he felt was best. And two titles later, the rest is history.

• Anticipation: 10/10
• Shock value: 10/10
• Level of contender joining: 10/10
• Supporting cast: 8/10
• Delivery: 8/10
• Final score: 46/50

LeBron James made multiple appearances at Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 but said little about his next team. (Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for Fanatics)

3. LeBron heads to Philly in 2026 (Decision No. 4)

First and foremost, the risk of tying your final chapter(?) to Joel Embiid’s health in the postseason might be the biggest heat check James has ever taken. Never knowing whether Embiid can give what’s needed in the playoffs is going to leave a lot of questions about this decision.

With that said, the Sixers desperately need a power forward for this group, and James was easily the best fit. Maxey and Brown can playmake, even though they’re primarily scorers. James, however, is one of the best playmakers in history. He’ll be there to tie things together the best he can, all while going back to the East to challenge the Knicks for top billing in the conference. This is a big-time risk, but the positives outweigh the questions for James’ decision.

James made us wait more than three weeks for this decision, keeping free-agency buzz somewhat going after the frenzy of the first few days. Maybe this will be the last time James has us all waiting to learn his next employer, or maybe we’ll do this again down the road. If anybody can keep extending this, it’s LeBron.

• Anticipation: 8/10
• Shock value: 6/10
• Level of contender joining: 8/10
• Supporting cast: 8/10
• Delivery: 7/10
• Final score: 37/50

4. Going Hollywood in 2018 (Decision No. 3)

This decision had so little fanfare and anticipation. Irving had sought out his own team a year earlier, finding his way to Boston as he rode the trade winds with the writing on the wall. Everybody knew James was leaving Cleveland for a second time. And everybody seemed to know the choice was going to be moving to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant retired two years earlier, and the Lakers were in desperate need of a real star. They’d drafted potential stars, but this franchise wasn’t winning any games.

Meanwhile, James had plans for continuing to build a media empire. There was no better place to do that than the sunny skies of L.A. Almost immediately after free agency opened, the news was delivered: James was signing with the Lakers on a four-year deal. No magazine cover. No television special. It was just a matter-of-fact move for the next chapter in James’ career.

He’d spend eight years in L.A. — the longest continuous stretch with one team in his career. He won a championship with the Lakers in 2020. Anthony Davis joined him and then later was shipped to Dallas in the most surprising trade in NBA history, with Luka Dončić becoming a Laker.

This decision was expected, and it happened with very little drama. It was more about taking care of business and checking boxes than it was about putting on a spectacle.

• Anticipation: 3/10
• Shock value: 3/10
• Level of contender joining: 5/10
• Supporting cast: 5/10
• Delivery: 4/10
• Final score: 20/50

NEW YORK — With conversation active across the sport this weekend, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Friday that he has to be “open-minded” and will “not close any paths down.”

That said, when asked specifically about the possibility of trading franchise shortstop Francisco Lindor, Stearns said: “I’m not going to rule out any specific player on anything. I don’t think that’s wise for me to do. What I will say is, we’ve got a group of young players, and we’ve got some potential future Hall of Famers that we view as our core. And we expect them to be our core.”

Lindor is the biggest name among those rumored to be available for New York at the trade deadline. A trade of the shortstop, who is owed $160 million for the five seasons after 2026, remains unlikely for several reasons.

Players slated to hit free agency this winter — starters Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes, relievers Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter and outfielder Tyrone Taylor — are likely to be moved. The key question facing Stearns ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline is whether to trade players with team control beyond 2026.

Lindor, catchers Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens and relievers Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazobán are among the other players New York could move between now and then.

When Holmes and interim manager Andy Green spoke on Tuesday, the pitcher assessed the previous night’s rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse.

“The first thing he said to me was: ‘I feel like I could be doing that in the big leagues right now,’” Green recounted.

Holmes threw 51 pitches over 2 1/3 innings that night, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks. Before the Mets faced the Dodgers on Friday at Citi Field, the veteran right-hander continued to reflect.

“It was just good to be in a game and feel the competition,” said Holmes, who has been out since mid-May with a broken leg. “It’s been a while, so just being back and throwing all my pitches was a lot of fun.”

“He looked exactly like you wanted him to,” Green said.

Green said the plan is to build Holmes’ pitch count back to a normal starter’s workload. While the Mets haven’t committed to another minor-league rehab start for Holmes yet, Green said that’s “typically” what a team would do for a pitcher rehabbing like this.

This situation is not typical, though. Holmes’ next day to pitch would be July 28. If he makes a rehab start that day, he could conceivably pitch in a big-league game for the Mets on Aug. 2 — the day before the trade deadline.

As The Athletic previously reported, the odds are tilted more toward Holmes being traded than signing a contract extension.

When asked about a possible extension, Holmes said Tuesday, “I don’t think there’s been a ton there.”

“It really boils down to what the team thinks is best for the organization now and long term,” he said. “I want to be pitching my best, whether that’s here or somewhere else, the next two months.”

Holmes figures to be one of the better rental starting pitchers available at the deadline. He’s 4-4 this season with a 2.39 ERA over 52 2/3 innings.

Asked if there was an area the Mets will prioritize at the deadline, Stearns said, “I don’t think it makes sense for us to zoom in on a particular skill set or a particular player profile and say that’s the type of player we need to acquire.”

“We see different types of prospects traded in different deadlines. It’s very difficult to predict the type of player that’s going to be traded or be available at any particular deadline,” he continued. “We have to stay open-minded and really see what type of players become available as we engage in these conversations.”

That said, Stearns did say later that the team will need to add major-league pitching ahead of next season.

“We have some young starters at the major-league level that are performing really well that we’re excited about,” he said. “That’s also an area we’re going to have to look to supplement as we head to ’27.”

Along with Raley, Minter can provide a contender with a veteran, established late-game lefty. Minter’s surface-level results have been very good this season: a 2.45 ERA and a WHIP just above 1.000 over 22 innings with nine strikeouts for each walk.

However, Minter’s velocity is down 2 mph from the beginning of last season, before surgery on his left lat muscle knocked him out for 13 months. Has his diminished velocity changed the way he’s pitched?

“It’s a little bit of yes and no,” Minter said just before the All-Star break. “My mentality is still the same: When I’m out there, I try to attack hitters the same whether I’m throwing 98 or 92. In my mind, I still feel like I can blow a fastball by you. That being said, yes, I do feel like I have to mix my pitches a little bit more.”

For the first time since 2019, Minter is throwing his cutter more than his four-seam fastball to both righties and lefties. But he’s used his changeup a bit less, and he said that’s a pitch he needs to work into the mix more often.

The biggest difference for Minter has been with his walk rate. He entered the year with a career walk rate above 8 percent. This season, he’s walked just two batters — a rate of 2.4 percent entering Friday.

“Getting ahead and throwing strikes is even more important,” he said. “I do feel like I have to get ahead and once I get ahead, I can expand a little more.”

He experienced the flip side of that against the Red Sox just before the break, when Anthony Seigler got him for a two-run homer.

“I got to 3-1, man on first with no outs, I was not going to give up a free pass there,” he said. “I had to come back and throw two strikes. The hitter probably knew that and made me pay.”

That Seigler homer started a run of uneven outings for Minter, who allowed another two-run homer on Friday night to Kyle Tucker. Over his last five appearances, Minter’s given up five runs on 11 hits over five innings.