Major League Baseball is monitoring the investigation involving Dodgers owner Mark Walter.
Walter caught the attention of federal authorities following a whistleblower complaint regarding alleged misrepresented loans made between the Guggenheim founder’s companies. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the complaint and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred revealed the league’s interest in the situation.
“As always when we have an investigation, external law enforcement, whatever, we monitor that and that’s where we are right now,” Manfred told reporters.
Walter has already sold several parts of his sports empire in light of the investigation. The business mogul sold the Lakers at a record $12.5 billion valuation as well as his stakes in Chelsea FC.
The latest report states Walter is also looking to sell his controlling interest in the Sparks at a record valuation.
The investigation has propelled several questions regarding Walter’s sports portfolio, which has shrinked in recent months. Walter’s remaining holdings include the Dodgers, the Cadillac F1 team and the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
This summer, Dodgers president Stan Kasten explicitly said the MLB team was not being sold.
“I wanted to make sure everyone understood one thing very clearly: The Dodgers are not being sold,” Kasten told reporters.
“They’re not gonna be sold. They’re not for sale. There’s no process that has been started to sell it, period,” Kasten continued. “We are planning only to win. That is what we are always doing. And we are still continuing to do that.”
The results of the federal probe, however, could have implications for the back-to-back World Series champions.