AP investigative reporter Jim Mustian and sportswriter Brett Martel exposed the deep, behind-the-scenes alliance between the New Orleans Catholic Church and the NFL’s Saints franchise during the clergy sexual abuse crisis.
While AP first revealed this partnership five years ago, newly uncovered internal emails obtained by Mustian showed that Saints executives played a pivotal role in crisis communications—contradicting the team’s prior claims of “minimal” involvement.
Mustian’s persistence in securing these records and Martel’s diligence in holding Saints ownership accountable uncovered critical new details, including the team’s early access to a list of accused clergy—one that AP found had omitted at least 20 names. Their reporting also underscored the ongoing stakes: a bankruptcy case involving 600 abuse claims and federal and state investigations into the archdiocese’s failure to report clergy abuse.
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