Tom Brady cooperated with the DeflateGate investigation until it came time to hand over printed copies of his texts and emails, Ted Wells said in a conference call with the media Tuesday.
Wells specified he never demanded to touch the New England Patriots quarterback’s personal phone and was willing to take printouts of Brady’s messages.
“Mr. Brady, the reports sets forth, he came to the interview, he answered every question I put to him,” Wells said. “He did not refuse to answer any questions. In terms of the back and forth between Mr. Brady and my team, he was totally cooperative.
“At the same time, he refused to permit us to review electronic data from his telephone or other instruments. Most of the key evidence in this case, as in most cases, come from people’s cell phones, and he refused to let us review the phone.
“And I want to be crystal clear: I told Mr. Brady and his agents, I was willing not to take possession of the phone. I said, ‘I don’t want to see any private information.’ I said, ‘You keep the phone. You, the agent, Mr. Yee, you keep the phone, you give me the documents that are responsive to this investigation, and I will take your word that you have given me what’s responsive. And they still refused.”
It’s unclear why Wells would have trusted Brady and his agent not to filter out incriminating messages or why the Patriots quarterback wouldn’t selectively submit emails and texts in printouts.
Brady’s agent, Don Yee, said last week that the NFL Players Association might have had an issue with the QB turning over data from a personal cell phone.
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
