City of Oakland suing NFL over Raiders’ move to Las Vegas
The city of Oakland filed a federal antitrust and breach-of-contract lawsuit against the NFL on Tuesday over the relocation of the Raiders to Las Vegas.
Contending the move to Nevada is “illegal,” the filing aims to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in damages that include lost revenue, money that Oakland taxpayers invested in the team, and other costs.
“The defendants brazenly violated federal antitrust law and the league’s own policies when they boycotted Oakland as a host city,” City Atty. Barbara Parker said in a news release. “The Raiders’ illegal move lines the pockets of NFL owners and sticks Oakland, its residents, taxpayers and dedicated fans with the bill. The purpose of this lawsuit is to hold the defendants accountable and help to compensate Oakland for the damages the defendants’ unlawful actions have caused and will cause to the people of Oakland.”
Raiders officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Friction between the franchise and the city could push the Raiders to explore other options for what is supposed to be their last season in Oakland before moving into a new stadium in Las Vegas that’s scheduled to open in 2020.
The Raiders have one more home game this season, on Christmas Eve against Denver.
Follow Sam Farmer on Twitter @LATimesfarmer
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