AP: Stalions Filed No Expense Reports w/Michigan

Submitted by Communist Football on November 15th, 2023 at 3:45 PM

AP’s Larry Lage did a FOIA request to find any expense reports filed by Connor Stalions, and was told no such reports exist, further demonstrating that no other Michigan staffers or coaches were involved in his scheme:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Connor Stalions, the former Michigan staffer at the center of sign-stealing investigation by the NCAA, did not file any expense reports during the 17 months he was formally employed by the football program, according to the school.

The Associated Press filed a Freedom of Information Act request for Stalions’ expense reports while he was employed from May 2022 through Nov. 3, 2023. There are no responsive records, Patricia Sellinger, chief freedom of information officer at the school, replied in an email sent Wednesday.

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CaliforniaNobody

November 15th, 2023 at 3:47 PM ^

It seems like most of the bad news that can be unearthed has been, and now it's gonna be a slow stream of "ok Michigan fans were right in this way but totally not about that other stuff!" Until it's just Spartan and Buckeyes crying about nothing. 

Joined: 12/18/2014

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Hab

November 15th, 2023 at 4:34 PM ^

Perhaps my response was a bit blunt. 

Professionally, I'm no stranger to investigations either.  There may or may not be more to the allegations of links between the coaching staff and Stallions, and the absence of any expense reports is a welcome report, but there is most definitely more that the program doesn't want aired.  And the way I read the post I replied to, he was basically saying that we were in the clear.  In my experience, it is waaaaaaaay too early to go to the conclusion that there won't be any more bad news coming out of AA.

Joined: 01/02/2015

MGoPoints: 39666

MGlobules

November 15th, 2023 at 6:38 PM ^

The incidence of homerism is still running high here, and who better to kill a messenger than a homer. The collective IQ here has also taken another one of its precipitous drops, as it does during Michigan's various bouts of fever. Yesterday's wielder of the pitchfork may be today's bun-licker; the turnaround doesn't always take much time.

But just to buttress what Hab is saying a little: Stalions GAVE the info he developed to somebody. Just what that chain of information consisted of, how it was transmitted and TO WHOM, quite obviously remains to be described, at least to the public. We have preliminary indication that Jim didn't know, and we now have an indication that Stalions wasn't formally reimbursed. Terrific. But leaping on someone discerning enough to state, simply, that there's more TK? Stupid AF.

People wanting to claim this means there's no more news are willing naifs.

Joined: 11/17/2008

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MGoBoz

November 16th, 2023 at 10:33 AM ^

This has been my impression pretty much the whole time. Conor Stalions wanted to look like a savant and used everything at his disposal to do so. This included the advance scouting, which he may or may not have known was illegal. He would then compile that along with other means (All-22, etc.) to come up with his predictions of what play would come next. He probably tried to chalk up his success as an Army captain who could predict the enemy's next move, which probably is true, but he also relied on other means. 

Joined: 10/17/2012

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Jonesy

November 15th, 2023 at 7:57 PM ^

Stalions GAVE the finished product to the coaches, there's zero reason to assume he gave them the raw, allegedly impermissible data. They don't need that, they don't want that, they hired him to take care of figuring out the signs so they didn't have to. Using any of that as proof they knew about his scheme is ridiculous.

Joined: 03/14/2012

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The Oracle 2

November 15th, 2023 at 10:10 PM ^

Another interesting question is where Stalions got the money to buy the tickets, which usually aren’t cheap. I don’t know how much an analyst makes, but I’m guessing it’s not much. It’s possible Stalions had enough of his own money to cover the costs, and did so because he wanted to make himself look good and help his chances of upward mobility, but it’s also possible the money came from somewhere else. If it did, that doesn’t necessarily mean it came from the university. Also, if we’re being honest, if a coach or university employee was fully aware of the scheme and wanted to fund it, they wouldn’t have Stalions file expense reports.

Joined: 02/25/2018

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The Oracle 2

November 16th, 2023 at 9:44 AM ^

I didn’t say any of that, but there’s been no proof, or at least none that has been made public, of where the money came from. As I said, it’s certainly possible Stalions could’ve funded all of it in an effort to make himself look good, but the lack of paperwork requesting reimbursement from Michigan isn’t proof that he did.

Joined: 02/25/2018

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lhglrkwg

November 15th, 2023 at 4:18 PM ^

Just remember that this PI investigating got months of a headstart on anyone else...and they've got jack to report on other than Connor Stallions- heavily implying they didnt find it went beyond him. If there was more in their chamber, Thamel wouldve tweeted it already.

Joined: 07/03/2008

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Walmart Wolverine

November 15th, 2023 at 5:06 PM ^

The Stalions on the CMU sideline thing is really bizarre

Unless I've missed something (not unlikely) it's been radio silence since the picture dropped, other than McElwain saying that Stalions was not issued a sidelines pass

It seems that by about five minutes after that picture dropped they should have known exactly who that is.   Oh that guy?   It's Bob.   He's a second year intern.

Joined: 08/25/2008

MGoPoints: 458

lhglrkwg

November 15th, 2023 at 3:58 PM ^

The goalposts are just gonna be moved and moved and moved by Buckeyes and Spartans till they're yelling "All we wanted this whole time was a fair and complete investigation!!" like they weren't all clamoring for the death penalty, immediate postseason ban, immediately indefinite suspension of Harbaugh, etc etc etc.

It's obvious that lots of rivals were trying to take advantage of the chaos to cause as much damage as they could while PR momentum was on their side

Joined: 07/03/2008

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