Pat Bowlen tasked three non-family trustees with electing the next controlling owner of the BroncosGETTY IMAGES
Bill Bowlen on Thursday filed a motion with the Arapahoe County (Colo.) District Court to "remove trustees" of his brother Pat Bowlen as his "power of attorney 'due to their failure to uphold" the longtime Broncos owner's wishes and act in the best interest of he, his family and the team, according to Nicki Jhabvala of THE ATHLETIC. Bill Bowlen said of Broncos President & CEO Joe Ellis, Exec VP & General Counsel Rich Slivka and Denver-based attorney Mary Kelly, the trustees named in the motion, "I have real concerns with these trustees, their conduct and how they got to the positions they are in. They have little or no accountability to anybody but themselves. They have not complied with the rules of the NFL and I am uncomfortable with the way they have handled my brother's affairs." Bill Bowlen alleges Ellis, Slivka and Kelly, the non-family trustees tasked with electing the next controlling owner of the Broncos, have conflicts of interest that "impair their ability to act impartially in Pat Bowlen's best interest." Bill Bowlen also alleges the trustees have "'refused' to implement a long-term succession plan for the Broncos that follows Pat Bowlen's wishes of ensuring his seven children retain control of the team." Bill Bowlen "contends that Pat, who has suffered from Alzheimer's for more than a decade, did not fully comprehend the documents he signed" allowing for changes to his estate planning (THEATHLETIC.com, 10/25).
VESTED INTEREST: In Denver, Ryan O'Halloran in a front-page piece notes Bill Bowlen "owned a stake in the Broncos until selling his share" in '02 to Pat Bowlen, who owns 76% of the team. His brother, John Bowlen, "owns the remaining interest." Bill Bowlen said that he will "not have a financial gain" if his motion is successful. Two of Pat Bowlen's daughters, Beth Bowlen Wallace and Brittany Bowlen, have "expressed interest in succeeding their father" as controlling owner of the Broncos (DENVER POST, 10/26).
