Brother Of Denver Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen Wants Trustees Removed
DENVER (CBS4)- The brother of Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen wants a court to remove the trustees of the Pat Bowlen Trust over what he cites as a conflict of interest.
William "Bill" Bowlen asked a court on Thursday to remove remove Richard Slivka, Mary Kelly and Josiah "Joe" Ellis as agents of Pat Bowlen and of his power of attorney.
He said they have failed to uphold Pat Bowlen's wishes and act in the best interest of him and the Broncos.
The owner of the Denver Broncos relinquished control of the team before training camp in 2014, due to the onset and progression of Alzheimer's Disease. President and CEO of the Denver Broncos Joe Ellis has been at the helm since.
"I am a huge fan of the Broncos, and have been for decades. Unfortunately, over the past 15 years, I've noticed that the operation of the Broncos has deteriorated, while my brother's health has worsened," Bill Bowlen said in a statement Thursday. "I have real concerns with these trustees, their conduct and how they got to the positions they are in. They have little or no accountability to anybody but themselves. They have not complied with the rules of the NFL and I am uncomfortable with the way they have handled my brother's affairs. I know what his wishes were, and these individuals are definitely not following them."
Pat Bowlen has had some major achievements with the team, including 300 wins in 30 years.
Dan Reilly, legal counsel for the Pat Bowlen Trust, released this statement on Thursday: "We have not seen this lawsuit and first learned of it through a media report tonight.
"Although we are currently reviewing this matter, we are aware that the counsel submitting this complaint on behalf of Bill Bowlen is the same one that has been representing Beth Bowlen Wallace.
"The trustees will continue to execute Pat Bowlen's long-standing succession plan for the Denver Broncos in compliance with all NFL ownership policies."
Beth Bowlen Wallace announced in May that she is throwing her hat into the ring to take the leadership role of the Broncos and carry out her father's winning legacy.
This comes less than a week after Brittany Bowlen, one of Pat Bowlen's seven children, said she's hoping to one day succeed her father as principal owner of the Denver Broncos.
