Former NFL Players Association leader Lloyd Howell Jr. has resigned as union chief after an outside investigator hired by the players’ union uncovered documents showing Howell charged the union for two visits to strip clubs, including a car service that took him from the airport to one of the clubs.
The scandal began when a union finance worker noticed an exorbitant cost on Howell’s expense report, which showed he used a car service at Fort Lauderdale International Airport in November 2023. The employee found the address listed on the receipt was Tootsie’s Cabaret, the world’s largest strip club.
More than a year later, Howell visited another strip club with two union employees, where they incurred $2,426 in charges including cash withdrawals and used VIP rooms for a “Player Engagement Event.” Howell instructed an employee to file expense reports for the outing, which showed four potential reimbursement violations were flagged.
Federal labor laws are strict on union expenses and reimbursements, and many experts say that Howell’s actions could be “unbelievable” and lead to government investigations. The NFLPA has its own guidelines on entertainment expenses, but some say they should be revisited in light of the scandal.
Howell, 59, was elected union president in 2024 and earned $3.6 million last year. He had previously faced scrutiny over a similar incident at his previous employer, Booz Allen, where he visited a strip club on company time and was reprimanded.
The NFLPA’s executive committee attempted to persuade Howell not to leave the union during a conference call Thursday night, but he surprised some members by stepping down as executive director and chairman of the board effective immediately.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45769802/ex-nflpa-boss-lloyd-howell-strip-club-expenses-sent-investigator