Last week, ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Don van Natta Jr. reported that Major League Baseball and the NFL Players Association were the subject of the federal investigation. According to ESPN, the FBI contacted multiple participants in MLBPA regarding Oneteam Partners – a joint venture that was originally co-founded by two player unions, while a private equity firm focused on issues beyond collective bargaining agreements (e.g., licenses for use licenses that are similar to players).
The player itself is not the target of the investigation. ESPN wrote that an anonymous complainant filed charges with the National Labor and Industrial Relations Commission at the end of 2024, which (among other, accused MLBPA executive director Tony Clark of “improperly (donated) his own and other executive equity” in Oneteam. It appears that this is the reason for the investigation; MLBPA has previously denied the allegations. According to ESPN, the NFLPA commissioned its own audit after the NLRB submission and determined that the NFLPA complies with recognized practices.
There are not many details. Evan Drellich of Track and Field wrote last night that Clark (as an individual) and MLBPA have hired separate lawyers. This is wise, as the allegations in the NLRB complaint, if true, may involve a conflict of interest between Clark and the union.
Clarke has been the head of the Players Association since 2013. He led two rounds of collective bargaining negotiations. He is currently doing this again in 2026. Last spring, he and deputy director Bruce Meyer made an internal push from a group of players who wanted to expel them in support of former minor league advocate Harry Marino.
