Mogul: Robert Kraft (New England Patriots)

2023: Patriot's owner Robert Kraft campaigns against anti-semitism, ADL-backed fundraiser

dbharath@ap.org

Patriots owner Robert Kraft campaigns against antisemitism

FILE - New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft walks the field during practice before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Orchard Park, N.Y. On Monday, March 27, 2023, Kraft launched a $25-million national ad campaign against antisemitism. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)

BY DEEPA BHARATH

Published 10:44 AM PDT, March 28, 2023

From <https://apnews.com/article/new-england-patriots-owner-robert-kraft-antisemitism-campaign-5da8844493522237f7e3426b93307d9a>

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft faced the camera during a video call, pointing to a small, sky-blue lapel pin on his blazer.

The pin is the symbol of a $25 million “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign launched Monday by the 81-year-old billionaire through his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, aiming to raise awareness nationwide about soaring incidents of antisemitism online and in person. The campaign will feature emotive ads to be introduced by stars of top television shows such as NBC’s “The Voice,” and the “Kelly Clarkson Show,” and Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.”

“This little blue square represents the Jewish population in the United States – 2.4%,” said Kraft, who was raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, in an observant Orthodox Jewish family. “But we’re the victims of 55% of the hate crimes in this country.”

The ads are intended to tug at the heartstrings of non-Jewish Americans, said Matthew Berger, the foundation’s executive director. One of the ads, set to premiere Monday, shows a non-Jewish neighbor painting over a garage door vandalized with the Nazi swastika and the words “No Jews,” concluding with the message: “Hate only wins if you let it.”

Another ad focuses on online hate: A Jewish teen is shown crestfallen as he is trolled after posting a video of his bar mitzvah. Soon after, he sees a Harlem choir tag him with their version of his worship song. He sings along with the choir as these words pop up on screen: “Voices of support are louder than words of hate.”

Berger said the foundation worked with its creative team to find scenarios “that would be specifically impactful and showcase what antisemitism looks like.” He said the ads will be featured during the NFL draft and the NBA and NHL playoffs, as well as on social media, promoted by prominent influencers.

The campaign’s launch follows last week’s release of a report by the Anti-Defamation League asserting that antisemitic incidents in the U.S. rose 36% in 2022. The report tracked 3,697 incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault aimed at Jewish people and communities last year. It’s the third time in five years that the annual total has been the highest ever recorded since the group began collecting data in 1979.

The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, based at California State University, San Bernardino, reported last week that Jews were the most targeted of all U.S. religious groups in 2022 in 21 major cities, accounting for 78% of religious hate crimes.

Brian Levin, the center’s director, said he is concerned about brazen, public expressions of antisemitism, and the proliferation of antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories online. A campaign against antisemitism which solicits the support of non-Jewish people can help create awareness, he said.

“It is so important to show that antisemitism is un-American,” Levin said. “If we can show non-Jews as allies, that could be powerful.”

https://apnews.com/video/tornadoes-israel-benjamin-netanyahu-government-natural-disasters-6266c36a7bb64db893ae397b32f1a63e

In October, Kraft’s foundation aired a 30-second ad during a Patriots-Jets game urging the public to speak out against antisemitism. That ad came after antisemitic comments made by the music mogul formerly known as Kanye West and basketball star Kyrie Irving’s apparent support for an antisemitic film.

“The rise of antisemitism, to me, is the real breakdown of what this society stands on,” Kraft said. “In my lifetime, I have never seen the way things are right now with this hatred against Jews.”

The mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2018, in which 11 people were killed in the nation’s deadliest antisemitic attack, was a catalytic moment in his life, said Kraft. Two months after the shooting, he attended a Shabbat service at the synagogue, the day before his team was to play the Steelers.

Kraft established the foundation a year later, after he received the $1 million Genesis Prize, awarded to Jews who have achieved significant professional success and are committed to Jewish values. The annual award is given by the Genesis Prize Foundation.

Over the past decade, Kraft has encountered much turbulence in his personal and professional life.

In 2015, he and his team got caught up in the so-called “Deflategate” scandal. The NFL issued a 243-page report after an investigation found that Patriots employees violated the league’s rules covering game balls and that the team’s star quarterback, Tom Brady, was “at least generally aware” of plans to deflate the footballs to his liking. Kraft accepted the team penalty of a $1 million fine and loss of two draft picks.

In 2020, Florida prosecutors dropped a misdemeanor charge against Kraft after courts blocked their use of video that allegedly showed him paying for massage parlor sex. He issued a statement saying he “hurt and disappointed” his family, friends, co-workers, fans and others who hold him “to a higher standard.”

“I expect to be judged not by my words, but by my actions. And through those actions, I hope to regain your confidence and respect,” Kraft said at the time.

In recent months, he has become a powerful voice against antisemitism. Kraft says he treasures the spiritual values he inherited from his parents, especially his father who skipped television and other pastimes to read the Torah.

“I was privileged to receive that upbringing,” he said. “It gave me a spiritual core no amount of money can buy.”

Kraft hopes the ad campaign will help “educate and empower all Americans to stand up against Jewish hate” and the blue square he wears on his lapel will become “a unifying symbol of solidarity” in that quest.

“I hope this campaign calls out hate against all communities – Black people, the LGBTQ community – just anyone who is experiencing hate,” he said. “My hope is this will become an effort that builds bridges with all Americans.”

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

From <https://apnews.com/article/new-england-patriots-owner-robert-kraft-antisemitism-campaign-5da8844493522237f7e3426b93307d9a>

WIKIPEDIA PROFILE - ROBERT KRAFT (highlights)

Robert Kraft

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other people named Robert Kraft, see Robert Kraft (disambiguation).

Robert Kraft

Kraft in 2023

Born

June 5, 1941 (age 82)

Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.

Education

Columbia University (BA)

Harvard University (MBA)

Occupation

Business executive

Known for

Kraft Group

Spouse

Myra Hiatt

(m. 1963; died 2011)

Children

4 (including Daniel, Jonathan and Josh)

Relatives

Jacob Hiatt (father-in-law)

American football career

New England Patriots

Position:

Principal owner

Career history

As an executive:

- New England Patriots (1994–present)
  Principal owner

Career highlights and awards

- 6× Super Bowl champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX, LI, LIII)
- George Halas Award (2012)
- Theodore Roosevelt Award (2006)
- U.S. Open Cup (2007)

Robert Kenneth Kraft[1] (born June 5, 1941) is an American sports executive and businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate development, and a private equity portfolio. Since 1994, he has owned the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Kraft also owns the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer (MLS), which he founded in 1996, and the esport-based Boston Uprising, which he founded in 2017. He has an estimated net worth of $11.1 billion dollars according to Forbes.[2]

Early life and education

Kraft was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the son of Sarah Bryna (Webber) and Harry Kraft, a dress manufacturer in Boston's Chinatown.[3] His mother was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia;[4] his father was a lay leader at Congregation Kehillath Israel in Brookline and wanted his son to become a rabbi.[1] The Krafts were a Modern Orthodox Jewish family. Robert attended the Edward Devotion School [5] and graduated from Brookline High School.[6][7][8] As a child, he sold newspapers outside of Braves Field in Boston.[9] During high school, he was unable to participate in most sports because it interfered with his after-school Hebrew studies and observance of the Sabbath.[1]

Kraft attended Columbia University on an academic scholarship and he served as class president.[10][11] He played tennis and safety on the school's freshman and lightweight football teams.[1][12][13] During that time, he also lived in Carman Hall.[14] He met Myra Hiatt at a delicatessen in Boston's Back Bay in 1962,[1] and they married in June 1963.[15] He graduated from Columbia that same year, and he received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1965.[1][16]

Kraft was elected chairman of the Newton Democratic City Committee when he was 27. He considered running against Representative Philip J. Philbin in 1970 but chose not to, citing the loss of privacy and strain on his family that politics would have caused. He was further discouraged from entering politics by the 1970 suicide of his friend State Representative H. James Shea, Jr.[1]

Business career

Kraft began his professional career with the Rand-Whitney Group, a Worcester-based packaging company run by his father-in-law Jacob Hiatt.[7] In 1968, he gained control of the company through a leveraged buyout.[1] He remains the chairman. In 1972, he founded International Forest Products, a trader of physical paper commodities. The two combined companies make up the largest privately held paper and packaging companies in the United States.[citation needed] Kraft has stated that he started the company out of a hunch that the increase in international communications and transportation would lead to an expansion of global trade in the late twentieth century.[17]

International Forest Products became a top 100 US exporter/importer in 1997 and in 2001 was ranked No. 7 on the Journal of Commerce's list in that category.[18][19][20] Kraft said of the business in 1991 that, "We do things for a number of companies, including Avon, Kodak, cosmetics companies, candies, toys." The company produced both corrugated and folding cartons, which he stated, "are used to package everything from the Patriot missile, to mints, to Estee Lauder, Indiana Glass and Polaroid."[21] Kraft acquired interests in other areas, and ultimately formed the Kraft Group as an umbrella for them in 1998.[17]

Kraft was an investor in New England Television Corp., which gained control of the channel 7 license for Boston in 1982,[22] and Kraft became a director of the board a year later, after the newly licensed station, WNEV-TV, signed on, replacing the former WNAC-TV. In 1986, he was named president of the corporation.[23] In 1991, Kraft exercised his option to sell his shares for an estimated $25 million.[24]

Sports ownership

Boston Lobsters

In 1974, Kraft and five others purchased the Boston Lobsters of World TeamTennis (WTT).[25] The group spent heavily to lure a number of top players, including Martina Navratilova, and the Lobsters became one of the best teams in WTT. Following the 1978 season, Kraft announced that the franchise would fold.[26] The league itself folded soon thereafter.[1]

After the Lobsters folded, Kraft was also mentioned as a bidder for the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Celtics.[1]

New England Patriots

Kraft and Bill Belichick with Presidents Bush (May 2004), Obama (April 2015), and Trump (April 2017) at the Patriots' White House ceremonies

Kraft has been a New England Patriots fan since their American Football League days and had been a season ticket holder since 1971 when the team moved to Schaefer Stadium.[7] In 1985, he bought a 10-year option on Foxboro Raceway, a horse track adjacent to the stadium, and the purchase prevented Patriots owner Billy Sullivan from holding non-Patriot events at the stadium while races were being held.[27]

Kraft took advantage of the fact that the Sullivans owned the stadium but not the surrounding land, and it was the beginning of a quest to buy the stadium and the Patriots.[28] Sullivan's family was reeling from a series of bad investments, principally The Jackson Five 1984 Victory Tour, for which they had to pledge Sullivan Stadium as collateral.[29] Those problems ultimately forced Sullivan to sell controlling interest of the team in 1988, while the stadium lapsed into bankruptcy.[30]

In 1988, Kraft outbid several competitors to buy the stadium out of bankruptcy court from Sullivan for $22 million. The stadium was considered to be outdated and nearly worthless, but the purchase included the stadium's lease to the Patriots which ran through 2001.[31] Kraft placed a bid on the Patriots franchise as well, but he lost the bidding to Victor Kiam.[32] Sullivan and Kiam then tried to move the team to Jacksonville, but Kraft refused to let them break the lease. Kiam was nearly brought down by bad investments of his own and was forced to sell the Patriots to James Orthwein in 1992.[30]

In 1994, Orthwein offered Kraft $75 million to buy out the remainder of the team's lease at Foxboro Stadium, but Kraft turned it down.[37] Orthwein was not interested in operating the team in New England and decided to sell it. However, due to terms in the operating covenant, any potential buyer would have to negotiate with Kraft. With this in mind, Kraft offered $172 million for an outright purchase which Orthwein accepted. It was the highest price ever paid for an NFL team at the time.[38] While future St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke had actually offered more money ($200 million), Orthwein would have had to bear all of the team's relocation expenses. Orthwein would have also been responsible for paying the costs of an all-but-certain legal battle over the lease, as Kraft let it be known that he would go to court to enforce the covenant. Orthwein thus had little choice but to accept what amounted to a hostile takeover.[38]

Kraft said that his passion for the Patriots led him to "break every one of my financial rules" in his pursuit of the team.[28] Indeed, he still believes he "overpaid" for the franchise. He still keeps a Victory Tour poster in his office as a reminder of what set in motion the events that allowed him to buy the Patriots.[30] Following the NFL's approval of the sale, the Patriots sold out their entire 1994 season, the first full sell-out in franchise history. Every Patriots home game–preseason, regular season, and playoffs–has been sold out ever since.[39] In 2023, the Patriots were one of the most valuable franchises in the NFL, estimated by Forbes to be worth $7 billion.[40]

In 1998, Kraft considered moving the Patriots to Hartford, Connecticut, based on an offer that the state of Connecticut would finance a new stadium, but he terminated the deal just before it became binding to instead build a new stadium in Foxboro with Massachusetts infrastructure funding.[41] In 2002, Kraft financed a $350-million stadium for the Patriots initially called CMGI Field but renamed Gillette Stadium.[42] In 2007, Kraft began to develop the land around Gillette Stadium, creating a $375-million open-air shopping and entertainment center called Patriot Place. The development included "The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon," a multi-story museum and hall of fame attached to the stadium, and the "CBS Scene," a CBS-themed restaurant.[43][44]

On January 27, 2000, Kraft traded a first round draft pick to the New York Jets for the rights to hire Bill Belichick as head coach. The trade was met with criticism at the time, but proved to be successful after Belichick led the Patriots to win six Super Bowl championships and nine conference and 16 division titles.[45] In 2000, the Patriots drafted quarterback Tom Brady, who would be the team's starter from 2001 to 2019. The relationship between Kraft, Belichick and Brady has been credited with producing one of the most successful sports dynasties in football, although in later years the personal relationship between the three men grew strained.[46]

Under Kraft's ownership, the Patriots experienced sustained success for the first time in franchise history. While they appeared in Super Bowl XX under the Sullivans, this was one of only six playoff appearances in 34 years. Indeed, that Super Bowl season saw only the second playoff win in franchise history. However, they have made the playoffs 21 times in Kraft's 27 years as owner.[47][48] They have won 19 AFC East titles, including all but three since 2001 and 11 in a row from 2009 to 2019. They represented the AFC in the Super Bowl in 1996 (lost), 2001 (won), 2003 (won), 2004 (won), 2007 (lost), 2011 (lost), 2014 (won), 2016 (won), 2017 (lost) and 2018 (won). After having never won more than 11 games prior to Kraft's arrival, the Patriots have won at least 12 games 14 times, including finishing the 2007 regular season undefeated before losing to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.[48]

Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday, referring to Kraft's role in helping to settle the NFL lockout before the 2011 season, said "He [Kraft] is a man who helped us save football."[49]

In 2005, during a visit to Saint Petersburg, Kraft gave Russian President Vladimir Putin his third Super Bowl ring. He released a statement some days after the visit claiming that it was a gift out of "respect and admiration" for the Russian people and Putin's leadership.[50]

Kraft later said that he did not originally intend to give the ring as a gift and that his statement had been issued under pressure from the White House after Putin had kept the ring.[55] The ring is on display with state gifts at the Kremlin.[56]

Former Patriot Ryan O'Callaghan wrote in his book that Kraft supported him when he publicly came out as gay in 2017. According to O'Callaghan, Kraft invited him to a reception and said, "What you did took a lot of courage. I'm so proud of you" and that he would be "forever a Patriot".[57]

Soccer

Image: Kraft speaks with his son Jonathan at a 2018 New England Revolution game

In 1996, Kraft founded the New England Revolution, a charter member of Major League Soccer which began playing alongside the Patriots at Foxboro Stadium.[58]

Kraft also owned the San Jose Clash (later San Jose Earthquakes) from 1998 to 2000.[59]

In November 2005, Kraft met with Rick Parry, the chief executive of English Premier League team Liverpool. Kraft was rumored to be interested in investing money into the 2004–05 Champions League winners.

Kraft told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Liverpool is a great brand and it's something our family respects a lot. We're always interested in opportunities and growing, so you never know what can happen." Eventually, however, the club was sold to American duo George Gillett and Tom Hicks.[60] Liverpool is now owned by Fenway Sports Group, owners of fellow Boston-based sport team the Boston Red Sox.

In October 2017, Kraft said he was "still intrigued" by the possibility of buying a Premier League football club, but that he was concerned about the lack of a salary cap in British football.[61]

Image: Kraft speaking in 2023 at an event promoting the hosting of matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Kraft's Gillette Stadium

In 2017, Kraft was named the Honorary Chairman of the board of directors for the successful joint Canadian-Mexican-American bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In 2019, Kraft hired Bruce Arena as head coach and sporting director of the New England Revolution.[62] In 2020, the team had their first playoff win in six years.[63]

Esports

Blizzard Entertainment announced in July 2017 that Kraft bought ownership in the Boston Uprising, one of the first seven teams for the professional esports Overwatch League.[64]

They played in Season 1 of the Overwatch League. Preseason for the league began December 6, 2017, and the regular season started on January 10, 2018.[65] Boston Uprising finished third in the Overwatch League's inaugural season.[66]

Kraft Foundation

The Krafts have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to philanthropic work including education, child- and women-related issues, healthcare, youth sports and American and Israeli causes.[67] Among the many institutions the Krafts have supported are Columbia University, Harvard Business School, Brandeis University, The College of the Holy Cross, Boston College, Tufts University, Yeshiva University,[68] the Belmont Hill School, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

In 1989, Myra and Robert Kraft launched the Passport to Israel Fund, in collaboration with Center for Jewish Progress of Greater Boston (CJP), to help parents send their teenage children to Israel.[69]

One of their most distinctive projects is supporting American Football Israel, including Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem and the Kraft Family Israel Football League. In 1990, Kraft, his wife, and his father-in-law funded a joint professorship between Brandeis University and Holy Cross College, forming the Kraft-Hiatt endowed chairs in comparative religion – the first inter-religious endowed chairs in the United States.[70]

In 2011, the Krafts pledged $20 million to Partners HealthCare to launch the Kraft Family National Center for Leadership and Training in Community Health,[71] an initiative designed to improve access to quality healthcare at community health centers throughout New England. The Krafts supported the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Foundation to Combat Antisemitism

On October 30, 2022, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, which was founded by Kraft, sponsored an ad encouraging people to denounce hate against Jewish people. The ad aired during NFL games and was titled ”Stand Up to Jewish Hate”. This action came in response to antisemitic comments made by Kanye West and later Kyrie Irving.[72] He invested $25 million in the "Stand Up to Jewish Hate" campaign which launched through the foundation in March 2023 to raise awareness concerning antisemitism found online. The foundation's executive director indicated that ads would air during the NFL draft, NBA and NHL playoffs as well as by social media influencers.[73][74]

Philanthropy

COLUMBIA

In 2000, Kraft donated $11.5 million to construct the Columbia/Hillel which is made of the same white stone used in Jerusalem.[75] In 2007, after a $5 million payment to Columbia's intercollegiate athletics program, the playing field at Columbia's Lawrence A. Wien Stadium at the Baker Field Athletics Complex was named Robert K. Kraft Field.[76]

Following the Boston Marathon bombing, Kraft announced he would match up to $100,000 in donations made for the victims through the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation.[77]

In 2017, Kraft announced a contribution of $6 million to build the first regulation-size American football field in Israel.[78] In June 2017, Robert Kraft, along with several NFL Hall of Famers, traveled to Israel for the grand opening of the new Kraft Family Sports Campus.[79] Kraft has led additional "Touchdown in Israel" trips to Israel, with Patriots and Hall of Famers, since that 2017 trip.[80] That same year, Kraft funded a new van as part of the Kraft Center for Community Health at Massachusetts General Hospital in order to help combat the opioid crisis in Boston. The vans allow those with opioid addiction to seek health services in their own neighborhoods.[81]

In 2018, Kraft donated $10 million to Center for Jewish Progress of Greater Boston for the renovation of its headquarters in downtown Boston.[82] In 2019, Kraft, along with Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich, hosted a soccer match between the New England Revolution and Chelsea F.C., called Final Whistle on Hate, to raise money to combat antisemitism.[83] The match raised an estimated $4 million, with Kraft personally contributing $1 million toward the fund.[84]

In June 2019, Kraft received Israel's Genesis Prize. While at the event in Jerusalem, Kraft pledged $20 million to establish a foundation that will fight antisemitism and combat the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.[85][86]

The next month, Kraft pledged $100,000 to the families of seven motorcyclists killed in a crash the month before.[87] He donated $20,000 and attended the memorial in Worcester to honor fallen firefighter Christopher Roy on the one-year anniversary of his death.[88][89] Kraft teamed with recording artists Jay-Z and Meek Mill, as well as Michael G. Rubin, the executive chairman of Fanatics, among others to announce a foundation of criminal justice reform called REFORM Alliance. In coordination with the REFORM Alliance, Kraft invited more than 50 children (ages 5–17) to fly on the Patriots' team charter to attend the Patriots game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. The children attending the game each had parents who have been incarcerated for technical probation violations.[90] As of 2019, Kraft had led 27 missions to Israel.[91]

The Patriots' team plane delivering N95 masks to Logan International Airport in April 2020

In 2020, Kraft partnered with Chinese company Tencent to purchase 1.2 million N95 masks to donate to medical workers in New York and Massachusetts to help combat the coronavirus pandemic, sending the New England Patriots' private team plane to China to pick up the supplies.[92][93] Kraft initially negotiated for 1.7 million masks, but only 1.2 million fit on board.[94] They were allowed three hours on the ground in China at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport.[95][96] The plane was used to deliver 500,000 vaccines to El Salvador in May 2021.[97] Using the New England Patriots truck, they distributed 300,000 masks in New York City, 900,000 masks in Massachusetts and 100,000 in Rhode Island.[98]

In May 2020, Kraft put his Super Bowl LI ring up for auction with proceeds designated to help feed those facing food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[99]

Kraft lent the Patriots team plane to the University of Rhode Island Rams football team in October 2021 after the team's charter flight fell through. He covered all costs despite the URI Rams expecting to pay expenses through the team's budget.[100]

In 2022, Harvard Business School announced the creation of the Robert K. Kraft Family Fellowship Fund, committing $24 million to benefit potential students with limited means to attend HBS.[101]

In April 2024, he stopped funding Columbia University because of his disagreement with the institution's failure to crush the protests on campus against the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Personal life

In June 1963, Kraft married Myra Nathalie Hiatt, a 1964 graduate of Brandeis University and the daughter of the late Worcester, Massachusetts, businessman and philanthropist Jacob Hiatt. She died of ovarian cancer, aged 68, on July 20, 2011.[102][103] The Krafts were members of Temple Emanuel in Newton, Massachusetts.[104] A patch bearing Kraft's initials (MHK) appeared on the Patriots' uniform jersey throughout the 2011 season.[105] The couple had four sons: Jonathan A. Kraft, Daniel A. Kraft, Joshua M. Kraft,[106] and David H. Kraft.[107]

In June 2012, Kraft began dating actress Ricki Noel Lander.[115] Kraft and Lander broke up in 2018.[116][117]

Kraft was among 25 people facing first-degree misdemeanor charges for soliciting prostitution at a day spa in 2019.[122] Kraft's attorney electronically entered a not-guilty plea, and later submitted a court filing where Kraft waived arraignment, pled not guilty to all charges and requested a jury trial.[128] A memo filed by Kraft's attorneys revealed that hidden cameras had been installed when investigators entered the facility under the guise of a bomb threat.[133] A Palm Beach County judge ruled that prosecutors could not use the videos in their case, citing privacy concerns.[134] A Florida appeals court also ruled that Kraft's constitutional rights were violated, and all the charges were dropped.[139] US District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz ordered the videos to be destroyed.[140]

On March 5, 2022, an announcement was made by Tommy Hilfiger at the inaugural amfAR Gala Palm Beach event that Kraft and his partner, Dana Blumberg, had become engaged.[141] On October 14, 2022, the couple married in New York City.[142]

From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kraft>

2021/2022 Kraft Supports Election Denier/Anti-Abortion Rights Candidate Gail Huff Brown (R)

Gail Huff Brown (R) - wikipedia excerpt

ELECTION DENIER
SUPPORTS PRESIDENT TRUMP (2021)
SUPPORTS OVERTURN ROE V. WADE
SUPPORTS DOBBs / AGAINST ABORTION RIGHTS FOR WOMEN (2021)

2022 congressional campaign

Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire § District 1

In September 2021, Huff declared her candidacy for New Hampshire's 1st congressional district in the 2022 election.[10][11]

She identifies as a conservative Republican. Prior to running for office, Huff supported abortion rights.[12]

SUPPORTS PRESIDENT TRUMP (2021)

In 2021, she stated that she is "much more conservative" than her husband, and she supports former President Donald Trump.[13]

SUPPORTS DOBBs / AGAINST ABORTION RIGHTS FOR WOMEN (2021)

After filing for her congressional campaign, she was asked about her position on abortion, specifically in relation to the Texas Heartbeat Act, and she replied that she supports the current law in New Hampshire on abortion, which is legal during most of a pregnancy, but supports Texas's and other states' "right to pass any law they want" to restrict abortion."[14] She said her views on abortion are similar to those of Governor Chris Sununu, who is pro-choice.[15] Facing opposition in the primary campaign over abortion, Huff stated that she is a "mix of both" pro-life and pro-choice.[16]

SUPPORTS OVERTURN ROE V. WADE

She announced that she supports overturning Roe v. Wade and that abortion rights, and the question of whether or not to ban abortions, should be decided on a state level.[17]

She released a statement saying, “I’ve made my position on abortion clear: I support state’s rights, and I especially support our law here in New Hampshire. I do not support late-term abortion, federal funding for abortion or foreign aid being used for abortion....”[18] Following the overturning of Roe, she ran an ad saying she will support abortion rights in New Hampshire.[19][20] In an interview, Huff said that she supports same-sex marriage, but declined to answer whether she believes it should be a state issue and the Supreme Court should overturn the Obergefell decision which legalized same-sex marriage nationally.[21]

ELECTION DENIER

Huff has made unsubstantiated claims surrounding the 2020 presidential election, saying that there were "a lot of irregularities."[22]

From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gail_Huff_Brown>

2014 Kraft appointed as independent director to Apollo (Leon Black)

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1411494/000120919115079824/0001209191-15-079824-index.htm

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1411494/000095014214001006/eh1400620_ex9901.htm

Apollo Global Management Appoints Robert Kraft as New Independent Director

New York, NY. May 8, 2014 - Apollo Global Management, LLC (NYSE: APO) (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, "Apollo") today announced that Robert K. Kraft has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Apollo Global Management, LLC, and to the Board’s Conflicts Committee, effective immediately. Mr. Kraft’s appointment to the newly created position will bring the number of independent directors on Apollo’s Board to five out of a total of eight seats.

Leon Black, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Apollo said, “We are very pleased to welcome Robert Kraft to Apollo’s Board of Directors. He is a seasoned executive and an exceptional leader, and our company will benefit greatly from his insights and expertise.”

Mr. Kraft is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Kraft Group, which includes the New England Patriots, the New England Revolution, Gillette Stadium, Rand-Whitney Group and International Forest Products Corporation. Mr. Kraft serves on a number of National Football League committees, including the Executive Committee, the Finance Committee and the Broadcast Committee where he serves as Chairman. Mr. Kraft also serves as Chairman for both the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation and the Robert and Myra Kraft Family Foundation. In addition, Mr. Kraft serves on the Board of Directors for Viacom and the Executive Committee of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and he is a Trustee Emeritus of Columbia University and a Trustee of Boston College.

Apollo Global Management, LLC’s other independent directors include Michael Ducey (former President and Chief Executive Officer of Compass Minerals International, Inc.), Paul Fribourg (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Continental Grain Company), A.B. Krongard (former Executive Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Alex. Brown, Incorporated), and Pauline Richards (Chief Operating Officer of Armour Reinsurance Group Limited).

About Apollo

Apollo is a leading global alternative investment manager with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Toronto, London, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Singapore, Mumbai and Hong Kong. Apollo had assets under management of approximately $161 billion as of December 31, 2013, in private equity, credit and real estate funds invested across a core group of nine industries where Apollo has considerable knowledge and resources. For more information about Apollo, please visit www.agm.com.

Contact Information

For investor inquiries regarding Apollo, please contact:

Gary M. Stein

Head of Corporate Communications

Apollo Global Management, LLC

212-822-0467

gstein@apollolp.com

Noah Gunn

Investor Relations Manager

Apollo Global Management, LLC

212-822-0540

ngunn@apollolp.com

For media inquiries regarding Apollo, please contact:

Charles Zehren

Rubenstein Associates, Inc. for Apollo Global Management, LLC

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From <https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1411494/000095014214001006/eh1400620_ex9901.htm>

2019jul10 WBUR | Commentary on Kraft / Epstein - When Justice Is Up For Sale

When Justice Is Up For Sale

Commentary July 10, 2019 Rich Barlow Profile barlowr@bu.edu | wbur boston

617-358-3877

Images: Federal prosecutors announced sex trafficking and conspiracy charges against wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein on Monday, July 8, 2019 in New York. (Richard Drew/AP)This article is more than 4 years old.

The legal fates of two old, rich white guys — both accused sex criminals — will tell us much about the privileges of wealth in 21st-century America.

The sex trafficking charges brought by federal prosecutors against hedge fund manager Jeffrey Epstein, 66, may finally hold him accountable for his alleged crimes. Since investigators brought the charges against him in Federal District Court in Manhattan and seized nude photos of underage girls from his palatial Upper East Side townhouse, Epstein has been the target of outrage from people on the left and the right, including Nebraska Republican Senator Ben Sasse, who said earlier this week, “Justice doesn’t depend on the size of your bank account.”

But pending the outcome of the case against Robert Kraft, Sasse looks to be overly optimistic.

The diamond-studded legal guns representing the 78-year-old New England Patriots owner (one of them a former Epstein lawyer) may save him from charges that he solicited prostitution at a Florida spa. Yet while Kraft could dodge a trial, the women for whom he allegedly paid $100 each, for two sex acts, simmer in hotter water.

Image: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft arrives to the NFL football owners meeting on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, in Key Biscayne, Fla. (Brynn Anderson/AP)

Their savings have been frozen, and they face sex work charges, including a felony punishable by up to 15 years in jail. They probably can’t vaporize that by hiring pricey legal talent.

We can cheer retribution for finally collaring Epstein (he has pleaded not guilty), but the Kraft affair is likely to demonstrate how privilege still packs its punch.

Court tosses out evidence against Kraft - video

Clearly, Kraft’s case does not involve crimes as shocking to the conscience as those with which Epstein is accused. The football mogul, who also maintains his innocence, will owe his salvation (should it come), in part to rickety police work. The court tossed video from the spa that didn’t shield the privacy of legitimate consumers. But given Kraft’s cryptic public apology after being charged — “I am truly sorry. I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans, and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard” — the issue remains the stark divide between his fate and that of the women involved.

Meanwhile, we’re learning more by the minute about the extraordinary privilege Epstein relied on to rescue him once before. In 2008, federal prosecutors in Florida prepared a 53-page indictment accusing him of being a sexual predator. Instead, Epstein pleaded guilty to procuring minors for prostitution and received an 18-month sentence (he could have been sent away for life) in a deal with lead prosecutor Alexander Acosta. Acosta is now Donald Trump’s secretary of labor (and, oh, Sasse voted in favor of his confirmation — after questioning the Epstein deal).

We can cheer retribution for finally collaring Epstein ... but the Kraft affair is likely to demonstrate how privilege still packs its punch.

Epstein served 13 months of that sentence. His legal wrist slap 11 years ago is under review by the Justice Department, while Nancy Pelosi and even some conservatives are calling for Acosta’s head to roll. It should. On Tuesday, he wrote a smug tweet celebrating Epstein’s arrest on “new evidence” — which may well include last year’s exposé in the Miami Herald about his disgraceful, closed-door deal in ’08. That deal, contra Acosta, was made despite “extensive, detailed allegations.”

Even billionaires are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It also goes without saying that people like Epstein and Kraft shouldn’t be able to buy their way out of justice if they are guilty.

But let’s say this loud and clear: sex trafficked girls are victims, not criminals. How it’s possible to “procure minors for prostitution” (the crime Epstein admitted to in his 2008 plea) is questionable and disturbing. Minors aren’t working as prostitutes.

When it comes to Kraft, there are two possible legal vaccines for the virus of inequality attached to sex work.

One, favored by some progressives, would decriminalize that work. Advocates point to New Zealand, where legalizing prostitution 16 years ago made sex workers safer and more empowered vis-a-vis clients. But the Kiwi case is uniquely successful. A Harvard review of 116 nations found those that decriminalized prostitution saw higher human sex trafficking than in countries where sex work is prohibited.
Given that, and the dangers in America of sex work, the better alternative is to go Sweden’s route of holding johns, not prostitutes, criminally responsible. That, and offering aid to women who want to leave the business, have brought the Swedes plunging prostitution and trafficking rates. That’s the clearest policy lane to a solution.

Jim Braude, of WGBH, suggests a path to personal repentance for Kraft: pay the legal bills of the women at the spa. He can afford it. It would be a lot more than $100 for the alleged sexual act. And, Braude opines, “Seems to me it’ll clearly help them, and likely help him, too.”

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From <https://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2019/07/10/sex-crimes-jeffrey-epstein-robert-kraft-rich-barlow>

2019feb26 #kraft What's next for Robert Kraft?

By Andersen, Travis Boston Globe (Online) Boston. 26 Feb 2019.

From <https://www.proquest.com/usnews/docview/2432869218/487B9650DC994ECFPQ/1?accountid=6749&sourcetype=Newspapers>

So what's next for Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots who was recently charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution at a Florida spa?

Kraft, through a spokesperson, has denied engaging in illegal activity, but local cops say his alleged misdeeds were captured on video. Here's a primer on what lies ahead for the 77-year-old sports and business icon:

The legal front — According to court records, Kraft has an arraignment scheduled at a Florida courthouse on April 24. But he may not have to show up. A West Palm Beach criminal attorney with experience handling similar cases told the Globe that defense lawyers can sometimes secure dismissals without defendants appearing in court.

If convicted, Kraft faces a maximum one-year jail term on each count, as well as community service, a $5,000 fine, and a mandatory class on the effects of human trafficking, prosecutors say. However, jail terms of any length for a first offense are extremely rare.

Possible league discipline — Kraft also faces potential sanctions from the NFL. Per the league's code of conduct, “It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime. We are all held to a higher standard and must conduct ourselves in a way that is responsible, promotes the values of the NFL, and is lawful."

The policy also states, “Ownership and club or league management have traditionally been held to a higher standard and will be subject to more significant discipline when violations of the Personal Conduct Policy occur."

Colts owner Jim Irsay got hit with a six-game suspension in 2014 after pleading guilty in an impaired driving case. He admitted to driving under the influence of oxycodone and hydrocodone at the time of his arrest. Various prescription drugs were found in his vehicle, along with more than $29,000 in cash.

Public appearances — Many celebrities keep a low profile amid a scandal. Will Kraft follow suit?

He was spotted in California over the weekend on the Oscars pre-party circuit, hobnobbing at gatherings hosted by TV mogul Barry Diller in Beverly Hills and an earlier bash hosted by billionaire RonaldPerelman, according to reports from TMZ and Page Six.

The NFL's annual league meeting, a busy four-day event where team executives hash out possible rule changes and other issues, is slated for March 24 through March 27 in Phoenix. Kraft has given no indication, since word of the charges broke, whether he plans to attend the confab.

He's also scheduled in June to receive one of Israel's highest honors, the Genesis Prize, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He hasn't indicated whether he'll honor that commitment.

The prize is awarded by the Genesis Prize Foundation, which heaped praise on Kraft in a January announcement naming him as a winner. Kraft remained prominently featured on the group's homepage Tuesday morning.

The foundation noted in January that Kraft, “keeping with the Genesis Prize tradition . . . has chosen to forgo the $1 million monetary award so that funds can be granted, in his honor, to initiatives combatting anti-Semitismand other forms of prejudice as well as attempts to de-legitimize the State of Israel."

Larry Summers, a former Harvard president and US treasury secretary who sits on the Genesis Prize Committee, lauded Kraft in a January statement for his “extraordinary vision and leadership" and for bringing “enthusiasm and pride to the world of sports. His compassionate philanthropy and the charitable programs funded by the New England Patriots touch many lives in the United States and Israel."

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. Ben Volin, Bob Hohler and John R. Ellement of the Globe Staff also contributed. Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.

Credit: By Travis Andersen Globe Staff

Caption:

What's next for Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots who was recently charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution at a Florida spa?

Jim Davis/Globe Staff/file 2017

Word count: 662

Works Cited

Andersen, Travis. "What's Next for Robert Kraft?" Boston Globe (Online), Feb 26, 2019. ProQuest, http://ezproxy.lapl.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/whats-next-robert-kraft/docview/2432869218/se-2

2019: Kraft Exploiting Asian Women / Epstein / Trump

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Janice G. Raymond is a longtime feminist scholar-activist on violence against women and sexual exploitation. She is the former co-director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW). She is the author of many books and articles, most recently the book Not a Choice, Not a Job: Exposing the Myths about Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade (Potomac Press, US; Spinifex Press, Australia). Dr. Raymond is professor emerita of women’s studies and medical ethics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (USA) where she taught for 28 years. In 2007, Dr. Raymond was awarded the International Woman Award from the Zero Tolerance Trust in Scotland.

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http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/dignity/vol4/iss2/1.

https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1157&context=dignity

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Nehamas, N. et al. (2019, March 9). Massage Parlor Magnate Helped Steer Chinese to Trump NYC Fundraiser, Attendee Says. Miami Herald. Retrieved from

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Roth, D. (2019, February 22). Robert Kraft Donated $100,000 to a Massachusetts Anti- Sex Trafficking Group in 2015. Deadspin. Retrieved from

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1832829075/

Vafa, Y. (2015). There is No Such Thing as a ‘Child Prostitute.’ National Council of