Minnesota Seeks Probe of Boosters

The University of Minnesota says it will ask the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. to investigate reports that at least nine members of the basketball team’s booster club paid part of the fees to the lawyer who successfully defended Mitch Lee in the player’s first sexual assault trial.

Lee, a sophomore, was acquitted Jan. 14 of the assault of a female student at Minnesota one year ago January.

Then, on Jan. 24, Lee was arrested with two other teammates in connection with an attack on an 18-year-old Madison, Wis., woman. No trial date has been set for Lee, Kevin Smith and George Williams, who have all been dismissed from the team.

The latest arrests prompted Jim Dutcher to resign as head coach after 10 1/2 seasons and caused the university to forfeit its Jan. 26 game against Northwestern.

According to a copyright story in Sunday’s Minneapolis Star and Tribune, university President Kenneth Keller said he will write to the NCAA and request a study of the allegations that boosters helped pay for Lee’s first defense.

Such contributions would violate NCAA rules that prohibit athletes from receiving an “extra benefit” not available to all students.

After learning of the allegations Saturday, Keller told the newspaper that he would “immediately inform (the NCAA) that there is reason to believe there was a violation.”

Keller said a 22-member task force he named last Friday to investigate the university’s athletic programs will also review the operations of the booster clubs.

The Star and Tribune said the money used to help defend Lee was raised in October by G. Thomas MacIntosh II, a Minneapolis lawyer who is a member of the Golden Dunkers booster club.