Attorneys for the Giants dispute the idea that emails between Eli Manning and the team’s equipment manager provide a smoking gun that proves the quarterback conspired to defraud collectors by selling fake game-used memorabilia.
“The email, taken out of context, was shared with the media by an unscrupulous memorabilia dealer and his counsel who for years has been seeking to leverage a big payday,” Karen Kessler, spokesperson for Giants counsel McCarter & English, said on Thursday. “The email predates any litigation, and there was no legal obligation to store it on the Giants server. Eli Manning is well known for his integrity and this is just the latest misguided attempt to defame his character.