Former MLSE boss Tim Leiweke pardoned by Trump months after being indicted

FILE - Tim Leiweke, CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, prepares for a television interview following a news conference in Toronto on Monday, April 14, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

U.S. President Donald Trump pardoned Tim Leiweke on Wednesday, five months after his own justice department indicted the former president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

Leiweke was indicted for allegedly orchestrating a conspiracy to rig the bidding process for an arena at a public university in Austin, Texas.

He had pleaded not guilty but received what Trump called “a full and conditional pardon” in a clemency statement that didn’t include details on why the president was reversing the case.

Leiweke faced a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a US$1-million fine.

He stepped down as CEO of Oak View Group, a sports and real estate company he co-founded, as a result of the indictment.

Leiweke was head of MLSE from 2013 to 2015 before moving on to OVG. The company operates dozens of venues across North America, including Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, London, Ont.’s Canada Life Place and Hamilton’s recently renovated TD Coliseum.

— With files from The Associated Press.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2025.