MLB Monitoring Federal Probe Into Dodgers Owner Mark Walter

Major League Baseball (MLB) is closely monitoring an investigation involving Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed. Federal authorities, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), are looking into a whistleblower complaint.

The complaint reportedly concerns alleged misrepresented loans made between companies founded by Walter, who is also the founder of Guggenheim. Manfred stated that MLB, as is customary during external law enforcement investigations, is tracking the situation.

In light of the investigation, Walter has divested several assets from his sports holdings. He recently sold the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team for a reported $12.5 billion and has also sold his stakes in Chelsea FC. Reports also indicate that Walter is seeking to sell his controlling interest in the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.

Walter's remaining sports and entertainment holdings include the Dodgers, the Cadillac F1 team, and the Professional Women's Hockey League.

Earlier this summer, Dodgers president Stan Kasten publicly affirmed that the baseball team was not for sale. “The Dodgers are not being sold,” Kasten told reporters. “They’re not gonna be sold. They’re not for sale. There’s no process that has been started to sell it, period. We are planning only to win. That is what we are always doing. And we are still continuing to do that.”

The outcome of the federal probe could potentially impact the Dodgers, who have won the last two World Series championships.