Ex-Cardinals VP Terry McDonough accuses owner of cheating

Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill is accused of gross misconduct, including cheating, discrimination and harassment, in an arbitration claim filed Tuesday by former Cardinals executive Terry McDonough to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

McDonough maintains that both he and former Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks were left no choice but to follow Bidwill's plan to use burner phones to communicate with former Arizona general manager Steve Keim while Keim was serving a five-week suspension after pleading guilty to extreme DUI in Arizona.

McDonough says he still has the phone, which he says contains the evidence of the cheating scandal, as well as additional documentation.

In a detailed response sent to ESPN, the Cardinals strongly denied the allegations, calling them «outlandish.»

«We are reluctantly obliged to provide a public response along with broader context for some disappointing and irresponsible actions by Terry McDonough,» external public relations adviser to the Cardinals Jim McCarthy said in a statement. «Claims he has made in an arbitration filing are wildly false, reckless, and an opportunistic ploy for financial gain.

»Our position was consistent with many efforts we've made to accommodate Terry during his time with the team, despite difficulties in his personal life and his often volatile demeanor toward colleagues," the statement from McCarthy said. «That's why we are saddened to see that Terry is now lashing out at our organization with disparagements and threats that are absurdly at odds with the facts. This unnecessary and vindictive action by Terry was intended to malign his co-workers, our owner Michael Bidwill, and our team with outlandish accusations.»

In the filing, McDonough said he and Wilks