Breaking: Max Siegel Expose in The Washington Post - It's going to be tough for him to survive this!!

Because USATF is recognized by IAAF, and therefore, the only way you "make a team", is by competing at the USATF championships. 2018 could probably work for the most part, though.

Oh You Know wrote:

Why don't all the other shoe companies team up and create a new US Championship on the same weekend as USA's next year and double/triple the prize money? This could really work in 2018 when there isn't a World Championship. You could have it so the prize money in certain events is sponsored by a different company or whatever.

Give the athletes a reason to boycott.

USATF is working on a new offer for contracts between them and some of their top athletes. It would give the athletes quarterly cash and medical support from USATF, but in exchange, the athletes agree to compete at USAs if healthy. It's not tied to shoe contracts, in theory it shouldn't matter who your shoe sponsor is if you meet the criteria they set out to qualify for it.

If they implement it well, it should really boost attendance at USAs in off-years (like indoors this year and outdoors in 2018), and would be effective in preventing a meaningful boycott should the athletes ever actually organize in a serious way.

It would work if there was a widespread boycott by the athletes so most events had little to no competitors and the USA wouldn't be able to field a team at worlds. It would get picked up by the mainstream media and something major would have to be done. The problem would be that Nike probably would bully its athletes to compete but it still would be a huge PR nightmare.

Siegal is quoted as saying along the lines of how he will fu\cking destroy anyone who gets in his way. I'm honestly considering where on a scale from hoping he's got fast running speed, up to his pu\ssy quivering registering on the richter scale, to how much of a bi\tch he would be in a fight.

I hear you. JJK has a zero qualifications at running a organization of this size.

.

Stephanie is playing chess while most volunteers play checkers. She will discard a key piece (Drummond) to achieve the win. JJK is a nice lady and former great athlete. No real involvement in the organization since she retired - except maybe a free trip or two to a championship event. I suspect Jackie has never read the bylaws and procedures that govern the organization yet she seeks to chairs its meetings and manage its governance. I cannot imagine any scenario where she is nothing but a pawn for Miller and Hightower.

Watch the Board . wrote:

Stephanie is playing chess while most volunteers play checkers. She will discard a key piece (Drummond) to achieve the win. JJK is a nice lady and former great athlete. No real involvement in the organization since she retired - except maybe a free trip or two to a championship event. I suspect Jackie has never read the bylaws and procedures that govern the organization yet she seeks to chairs its meetings and manage its governance. I cannot imagine any scenario where she is nothing but a pawn for Miller and Hightower.

She's been on the Board of Directors for some time, which I am sure will feature prominently in her campaign. She rarely speaks at Board Meetings though, at least not in the public portions. But that would be why she gets free trips to National Championships, the Board Meetings typically coincide with them.

I think she has always been gracious about doing public appearances and such. She seems very nice, but I've never seen her show signs of leadership.

When Michelle Carter retires, she has real leadership potential. I don't necessarily agree with her on every issue, but she has been a very engaged and active Board member, and I think potentially has the skill set to be USATF President someday.

K Costner wrote:

The article didn't mention Maxy's use of personal bodyguards at the Marathon Trials in LA so he could pimp around with an entourage like he was a rapper.

This is the stuff that did not make the article. He has hired several security guys to travel with him (are they in first class too?). Costner is right - he not only has to collect massive checks but he must strut around.

She's been on the Board of Directors for some time, which I am sure will feature prominently in her campaign. She rarely speaks at Board Meetings though, at least not in the public portions. But that would be why she gets free trips to National Championships, the Board Meetings typically coincide with them.

I think she has always been gracious about doing public appearances and such. She seems very nice, but I've never seen her show signs of leadership.

When Michelle Carter retires, she has real leadership potential. I don't necessarily agree with her on every issue, but she has been a very engaged and active Board member, and I think potentially has the skill set to be USATF President someday.

Fair points. The issue is the athletes are subject to power brokers who only serve their own interests. Absent outliers like Curt and Adam, I see no chance that athlete interests will be truly served.

Damn, it is simple, Ever dollar burned in waste or corruption is a dollar, or maybe three quarters, lost by the athletes. I cannot argue whether it should be paid in stipends or sports med or travel but it should be spent on the athletes. Not FC tickets, not fraudulent contracts with buddies, not office furniture.

Yeah. It certainly wasn't like this when Ollan Cassell was running things.

[quote]polevaultpower wrote:

[quote]Watch the Board . wrote:

I think she has always been gracious about doing public appearances and such. She seems very nice, but I've never seen her show signs of leadership.

Are these paid public appearances?

This is a great post. The people that attracted to have appointments like Board of Directors at USATF and CEO of USATF are among the most corrupt, unscrupulous people around. At least Siegel is doing it for the money, the Directors are just being corrupt for fun and free flights.

How much do you want to bet that Siegle's "meeting" was all for his son's wrestling banquet.

https://twitter.com/Max_Siegel/status/712057443023458304

the fish rots from the head wrote:

What stinks the most to me is that Siegel justifies how much he costs USATF by taking credit for the Nike contract, when it was actually 2 outsiders (former Nike employees, of course) that negotiated the contract and were paid a $23 million commission for doing Siegel's job for him.

And also how he justifies how much he costs USATF by the USA teams performances in Rio when he doesn't coach or care about how much money these athletes make

I never liked this guy, even before he took over CEO (2012), when I ran AAU track back in 2007 I remember hearing how corrupt this guy was

Why the the USATF Board of Directions let Siegel rip us off by signing a 20 year contract with that Chinese show company. Obiously Siegal consipred with the two consultants to jack up each of their bonuses/commissions by making the term of the contract 20 years. I hope they all go to jail for 20 years for this.

What does "the Marriott was overbooked" mean?

Do hotels operate like airlines nowdays?

Or do they just mean that it was "booked full"?

It'll pass. Nothing will change' Elites are funded by their parents, don't suffer for want, live a dream life, amusingly and falsely call themselves "professionals". Thug Max soaks USATF because he can. Life goes on.

NOP Skeptic wrote:

I never liked this guy, even before he took over CEO (2012), when I ran AAU track back in 2007 I remember hearing how corrupt this guy was

Bullshit. You had no idea who this guy was in 2007.

A little perspective on some of these comments.

First, many of these actions are a direct violation of the IRS code and likely state and federal laws. There are very specific rules about both private benefit and inurement (similar, but different, topics - google it). The IRS's main tool is pulling the organization's exemption but there are also intermediate sanctions such as an excise tax on the excess benefit. Just like your local police department, the IRS does not have the resources or inclination to go after after person breaking the law or violating a statute so very possible you will see no action here (unless the IRS is provoked or encouraged - but the public, a congressman, etc.).

Second, state law (Indiana law in this case, I assume) governs the actions of non-profits. Safe to say they have rules on the books about proper conduct - it appears many of these allegations would violate the spirit if not the letter of the law. This is especially true if USATF is seeking charitable donations.

Finally, the sales tax matter is serious. It is clearly an action contrary to the Indiana tax laws that allow USATF (a charity) to avoid state sales tax for transactions that further their exempt purpose. It is serious, even though not a large amount, since it might indicate a deeper issue. If Max is buying "stuff" on the USATF account for that racing team or other businesses, it is likely breaking the law even if that entity reimburses USATF. Along these lines, using USATF "tax supported" offices and warehouses, phone system, computers for the non-exempt purposes raises IRS, state law and sales tax law problems (the trifecta of non profit fraud problems).

I see comments about whether Max's salary is too high. Some think it is okay to have a ultra-high paid executive and others comment about the size of the organization. The IRS cares a great deal about this matter. The 990 even has questions meant to guide the charities in its behavior. Google "501c3 excessive executive compensation" and you will see plenty of conversation including stories about the Fiesta Bowl, evangelical organizations, hospitals, and so on. The fact that peer companies like the other big olympic companies pay high but not ultra high comp to their CEOs may lead the IRS to an excessive compensation case (again, the most likely penalty is called an intermediate sanction and could be an excise tax).

The outrage by most on this board will likely melt into a malaise and then forgotten. Perhaps the athletes will see themselves as victims of a fraud and wonder how the spent money would have been distributed to programs that address their needs (which is, by the way, the mission of USATF).

NFP-Atty/CPA wrote:

I see comments about whether Max's salary is too high. Some think it is okay to have a ultra-high paid executive and others comment about the size of the organization. The IRS cares a great deal about this matter. The 990 even has questions meant to guide the charities in its behavior. Google "501c3 excessive executive compensation" and you will see plenty of conversation including stories about the Fiesta Bowl, evangelical organizations, hospitals, and so on. The fact that peer companies like the other big olympic companies pay high but not ultra high comp to their CEOs may lead the IRS to an excessive compensation case (again, the most likely penalty is called an intermediate sanction and could be an excise tax).

His salary is $500,000. The bigger issue for 2016 is that he earned $1.2 million in bonuses...

But I doubt anything illegal happened. The board wrote a contract that included bonuses if he hit certain criteria. It probably included stuff like increased memberships, increased sponsorships, etc.

The issue is whether or not the amount of cash he is getting in his bonuses is really justified by the benchmarks he hit? Memberships are important and a valuable tool for getting sponsorships, but they do not generate much revenue for the National Office.

And most importantly, I'm guessing his sponsorship bonuses are based on the overall value of sponsorships he signs, not the amount of cash the sponsorships bring in.

I don't know what is in his contract, but those are the types of things I can think of that would net him $1.2 million in bonuses...