Cardinals Whistleblower Accuses Owner Michael Bidwill Of ‘Burner Phone Scheme’ With Former GM Steve Keim

According to reports from both ESPN and The Athletic, former Cardinals executive Terry McDonough has filed an arbitration claim against owner Michael Bidwill for cheating and harassment related to a “burner phone scheme” to circumvent GM Steve Keim‘s 2018 suspension for a DUI. 

McDonough says he and then-HC Steve Wilks were provided with burner phones to communicate with Keim during his suspension during training camp in 2018. When McDonough objected, he says Bidwill berated him and later demoted him. 

“In response to McDonough’s objection to the illicit burner phone scheme, Bidwill cursed at, berated, and formally reprimanded McDonough, and ultimately demoted him — irrevocably damaging the trajectory of McDonough’s 34-year career in the National Football League. Bidwill also subjected McDonough to bullying, mocking, harassing and abusive behavior,” the filing says. 

McDonough says he has audio recordings of conversations with Keim during his suspension and still has the burner phone he was given. 

Wilks also objected, and the Athletic notes his claim against the team for discrimination related to being fired after just one season includes a reference to Keim’s “so-called” suspension. 

The Cardinals released a statement to ESPN calling McDonough’s filing “outlandish” and saying they intended to defend themselves. The team claimed another employee “had interfered with the protocol of that suspension” and Bidwill took “swift action” upon becoming aware of it and directed that phones be retrieved and “communications stopped.”

However, McDonough says his once-promising career — at one point he was a finalist for the GM job in San Francisco — was derailed by Bidwill after this. He was repeatedly demoted and pushed down the organizational pecking order and the filing says he endured continued abuse and harassment from Bidwill. 

McDonough also says Bidwill treated other employees poorly, calling his behavior “consistent with a pattern of workplace misconduct by Bidwill that is endemic and the hallmark of his stewardship of the storied Cardinals franchise.”

The filing states Bidwill treated one Black employee and two pregnant women poorly and “created an environment of fear for minority employees.” McDonough’s filing, via ESPN, stated Bidwill reduced the two women to tears by screaming at them. 

“It must be stressed that our owner’s long track record of fostering diversity and racial equity within our team and the League make this allegation especially despicable,” the Cardinals responded in their statement.

McDonough says he has proof that in 2019 Bidwill intercepted and canceled an employee treatment survey when it became clear it would not reflect well on him. 

“Many of the employees who responded to the survey indicated that they were fearful of Bidwill on a daily basis, as a result of Bidwill’s erratic and often abusive interactions with them,” the filing said.

The Cardinals responded to that allegation as well, saying that survey was the catalyst for several changes they made to the organization. 

The claim will be handled by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who will appoint an arbitrator to hear the facts of the case and pass a judgment.  

Bidwill inherited the team from his father and the franchise has been in the family for three generations. 

We’ll have more on the Cardinals as the news is available.