Tim Leiweke

Photo Credit: Moody Center

Oak View Group ex-CEO Tim Leiweke has pleaded not guilty of rigging bids for the construction of Austin’s Moody Center. He was released on a $1 million bond.

Live entertainment mogul and former Oak View Group (OVG) CEO Tim Leiweke has pleaded not guilty to rigging bids for the construction of Austin’s Moody Center. He was allowed to turn himself in rather than face an arrest and was released on a $1 million bond.

Leiweke turned himself in on Monday rather than face arrest for the indictment, which accuses him of conspiring with Legends Hospitality’s former chief executive to rig the bidding for OVG’s construction and management of the construction of Austin’s Moody Center in 2017.

Following his surrender, Leiweke appeared in federal court in Austin, where he pleaded not guilty to the charge of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. Judge Susan Hightower approved his $1 million bond and ordered Leiweke to stay in the continental U.S. and relinquish his passport.

Until news of his indictment and his subsequent stepdown, Leiweke was the CEO of OVG, which he founded alongside Irving Azoff after leaving his position as CEO of AEG in 2013. Despite stepping down, Leiweke maintains his innocence. Notably, Leiweke remains a shareholder of Oak View Group and vice chair of the company’s board of directors.

“It is not true, and I am confident that jurors in Austin will see this case for what it is—wrong on the facts and the law and a misguided attempt to criminalize the lawful, ethical, and procompetitive efforts of complementary businesses joining forces to deliver a compelling proposal,” wrote Leiweke in an internal staff email.

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division claims Leiweke made an illegal anticompetitive deal with Legends Hospitality during the bidding for the Moody Center contract. According to prosecutors, Leiweke promised to award building subcontracts to Legends if it withdrew plans to bid on the project.

The DOJ uncovered the alleged conspiracy while reviewing the emails of former Legends CEO Shervin Mirhashemi as part of its probe into the company’s merger with ASM Global last year.

“Tim and his team built UT a great arena—and saved the university millions of dollars in the process,” wrote Leiweke’s lawyer, David Gerger, in a statement to Billboard on Tuesday. “They did that by competition, not crime, and Tim is innocent of these charges.”