Report Says Saints GM Mickey Loomis Wired Booths to Overhear Opposing Coaches

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse for the New Orleans Saints...

According to a report by ESPN's John Barr, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis had use of a secret device that allowed him to eavesdrop on opposing coaching staffs for nearly three seasons, between 2002 and 2004. The report states that the US Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Louisiana has been informed of the allegations.

Use of a listening device in such a manner is strictly prohibited by the NFL, which levied hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and the loss of a draft pick against Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots for their "Spygate" scandal back in 2007.

More importantly, Loomis' secret eavesdropping may be a violation of state and federal laws. The Electronic Communications Protection Act (ECPA) prohibits the interception of communications using an electronic device.

The report suggests that the device, located in a Superdome suite next to the coach's box, had been in place since 2000, when Randy Mueller, Loomis' predecessor, used it to monitor communication between members of the Saints' staff on game days.

It wasn't until Loomis stepped into the job in 2002 that the switch was made.

Loomis is already slated to serve an eight-game suspension for his role in the "Bountygate" scandal that's devastated the Saints' operation in recent months. The team will already be without head coach Sean Payton for a full season and interim head coach Joe Vitt for the first six games of the campaign.

Gregg Williams, who allegedly orchestrated the Saints' bounty system, has been suspended indefinitely from the league by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

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