Sonics Trial Blog

Seattle Times reporters Percy Allen, Jim Brunner and Danny O'Neil are filing updates from the courthouse throughout the day.

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June 26, 2008 7:44 PM

Confidential? Let's talk about it: Slade Gorton's NBA meeting

Posted by Jim Brunner

Former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton went to New York last fall with Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis and Seattle Center Director Robert Nellams to meet with NBA officials and lawyers for the Sonics. For that Oct. 15, 2007 meeting, Gorton -- who was working for the city in the lease lawsuit -- signed a confidentiality agreement that read, in part, "All communications of any kind made during the meeting, and all materials prepared for, introduced at, or created during the meeting, are confidential and protected from disclosure for any purpose..."

The day after the meeting, on Oct. 16, 2007, Gorton e-mailed Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, former Safeco head Mike McGavick and former Sonics President Wally Walker about -- the meeting in New York. (Ballmer led the investors group interested in buying the Sonics.)

After describing some of what was discussed and who asked what, Gorton wrote, "The next question is when and how we inform the league that a local potential owner is a possibility."

Judge Marsha Pechman asked today about the confidentiality agreement and subsequent e-mail.

Click here to see the confidentiality agreement and e-mails, including the Oct. 16 e-mail, from Gorton.

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