Former President Donald Trump might’ve played a role in attempting to squash any further investigation into the New England Patriots’ “Spygate” scandal. According to a new ESPN report, Trump indicated to former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter that he would be paid if he stopped looking into the incident.

Specter questioned the NFL’s investigation into New England’s taping of the New York Jets’ coaches’ signals, which only lasted a few days and resulted in a couple of hefty fines and the Patriots forfeiting a first-round draft pick. In his 2012 memoir “Life Among the Cannibals,” Specter admitted that a mutual friend of his and Patriots owner Robert Kraft encouraged him to leave New England and Spygate alone.

“On the signal stealing, a mutual friend had told me that ‘if I laid off the Patriots, there’d be a lot of money in Palm Beach.’” Specter said. “And I replied, “I couldn't care less.’”

Arlen Specter’s son, Shanin Specter, told ESPN that Trump was the friend who spoke to the ex-Philadelphia district attorney and senator about looking the other way on Spygate.

“My father told me that Trump was acting as a messenger for Kraft,” Shanin Specter told ESPN. “But I’m equally sure the reference to money in Palm Beach was campaign contributions, not cash. The offer was Kraft assistance with campaign contributions. ... My father said it was Kraft’s offer, not someone else’s.”

Charles Robbins, the ghostwriter of Arlen Specter’s last book, told ESPN that he’s “pretty darn sure” it was Trump who made the comment. Specter never revealed the friend’s identity to Robbins.

Specter eventually gave up his quest to find more information about Spygate in June 2008. He died in October 2012.

The alleged offer of campaign contributions didn’t affect Specter’s investigation. Both Trump and Kraft have denied trying to end Specter’s efforts.

“This is completely false,” Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, told ESPN. “We have no idea what you're talking about.”

According to a Patriots spokesman, Kraft “never asked Donald Trump to talk to Arlen Specter on his behalf.”

Trump had a relationship with several key members of the Patriots organization during his time in the White House, though the former President was also at odds with the NFL. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick turned down the chance to accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom days after the riot at the Capitol.

trump kraft
Donald Trump (left) has a warm relationship with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, but a strained history with the NFL. Getty
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