The Arizona Cardinals must pay millions to their former vice president for malicious defamation.

An NFL arbitration panel has ordered the Arizona Cardinals to pay nearly three million dollars in damages to their former vice president Terry McDonough for defamation.

The Cardinals had accused him of domestic violence to the media and claimed that he had financially neglected his disabled adult daughter. These were “false and defamatory” statements that were made “maliciously”, ruled the arbitrator appointed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Jeffrey Mishkin.

McDonough was awarded 2.25 million dollars in punitive damages, 600,000 dollars for emotional distress and 150,000 dollars for reputational damage.

The decision was submitted to a competent federal court for confirmation on Monday.

The arbitration panel dismissed additional claims of unlawful retaliation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy, falling well short of McDonough’s original demand of $125 million.

Cardinals grateful for arbitration award

The Cardinals were accordingly pleased with the arbitration award. “We are pleased with the arbitrator’s decision to dismiss all of Terry McDonough’s employment claims and find that there was nothing improper about his dismissal from the team,” they said in a statement.

“As for Mr. McDonough’s other claim, we respect the arbitrator’s decision that our initial statement went too far. We take responsibility for that statement and are grateful that the arbitration is now settled.”

McDonough’s attorney Mike Caspino stated, “Despite what we consider fundamentally unfair, Terry McDonough is the first person to ever win against an NFL owner.” Why the NFL is not holding Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill accountable, however, remains a mystery.

McDonough fired for revenge?

McDonough had filed for arbitration against the Cardinals last April, accusing the franchise of fraud. He had been fired in retaliation after he told Bidwill that he was uncomfortable with the use of anonymous pre-paid cell phones.

The so-called burner cell phones had been used in connection with the suspension of then General Manager Steve Keim after he was arrested for drunk driving. Keim eventually resigned for health reasons.