U.S. senator seeks outside probe in Patriots spying

By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter on Wednesday urged the National Football League to order an outside probe into the videotaping of opposing coaches' signals by the New England Patriots, saying the integrity of the game was at stake.

Specter, speaking one day after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell declared the matter closed, said that it would be up to Congress to take a look if the league refuses.

The NFL forbids teams from videotaping opposing coaches' signals because it can provide an unfair advantage.

Specter of Pennsylvania, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, complained the league has inadequately responded to complaints about the Patriots.

"The lack of candor, the piecemeal disclosures, the changes in position on material matters, the failure to be proactive in seeking out other key witnesses, and responding only when unavoidable evidence is thrust upon the NFL leads to the judgment that an impartial investigation is mandatory," Specter said in a statement prepared for delivery on the Senate floor.

Specter suggested that the NFL follow the lead of Major League Baseball, which in 2006 named former Senate Democratic Leader George Mitchell to conduct an independent probe into the use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

At a news conference in New York on Tuesday, Goodell said there was nothing new in videotapes he received showing the Patriots taping opposing teams' signals and that no additional penalty against New England was being considered.

Goodell spoke to reporters after meeting for more than three hours with former New England video assistant Matt Walsh to go over eight videotapes he supplied the NFL, and his experiences working for the Patriots from 1997 to 2003.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 last year for breaking rules regarding videotaping and the club lost a first-round draft pick. The Patriots were also fined $250,000.

The punishment was handed down after videotape was confiscated by the league following New England's 2007 season-opening victory against the New York Jets.

Specter said he spoke for three hours on Tuesday with Walsh, who under questioning told him that he also witnessed such videotaping during 2003, 2004 and 2005.

"Walsh said he did not tell Goodell about the taping during 2003, 2004 and 2005 because he was not asked," Specter said.

Specter said, "The public interest is enormous. Sports personalities are role models for all of us, especially children."

"If the Patriots can cheat, so can the college teams, so can the high school teams, so can the 6th grader taking a math examination," Specter said.

(Editing by David Alexander and Xavier Briand)