The New York Times’ investigation into former employee Dianna Russini is reportedly no closer to reaching a conclusion – much to the ire of its staff.
Russini’s former employer The Athletic, which is owned by the Times, launched an investigation into the ex-NFL insider in early April after compromising photos of her and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel were published.
Russini left her job just days after bombshell pictures emerged of her appearing intimate with Vrabel at an adults-only resort in Arizona. Both are married with children.
However, almost three months later, the investigation is said to be rumbling on with the end to the scandal nowhere in sight.
A spokesperson for the Times Company told Pro Football Talk on Tuesday that the publication’s investigation ‘is still ongoing.’
The latest update – or rather lack thereof – comes after it emerged last month that unrest is growing at the New York Times with an investigation into Russini’s relationship with Vrabel still ‘weeks away’ from being published.
The New York Times’ investigation into former employee Dianna Russini is dragging on
Russini left her job as an NFL reporter after intimate pictures emerged of her and Mike Vrabel
Steven Ginsberg, Russini’s boss at The Athletic, initially launched a defiant defense of her, before she was put on leave and ultimately resigned after Ginsberg said ‘additional information emerged’.
He said an investigation would be launched but now, over two months on, Athletic staffers are said to be frustrated that the probe is dragging, as per Page Six.
Ginsberg was quoted as telling staff in June: ‘It’s going to take a few more weeks.
‘There’s just a lot to go through, and we obviously want to take our time and be careful doing that.
‘We will update everybody when we get to the end of that. We’ve also said that if we find anything that needs to be corrected, we will correct it along the way.’
Three weeks later and the conclusion of the investigation has still not emerged with the deadline, instead, being pushed further back.
What’s more, further controversy has plagued Russini over the past week after new footage emerged of the former reporter name-dropping an NFL coach to desperately dodge a traffic ticket. To make matters worse, said coach was not Vrabel.
In the seven-minute clip, Russini claims to the police officer she was on the phone to former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll before asking the cop if he’s a fan of the Giants or Jets.
Russini then resigned from The Athletic, despite denying suggestions of an affair with Vrabel
Footage emerged of the former reporter name-dropping Kevin O’Connell to dodge a ticket
In the seven-minute clip, Russini also claims to the officer she was on the phone to Brian Daboll
That is when the officer tells her he is a Vikings fan, which prompts Russini to show what looks like a text exchange with O’Connell before telling the officer that Minnesota’s quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, ‘sucks’.
The officer then retreated to his vehicle to check over Russini’s documentation before returning and informing her that he would ‘cut you a break’ due to her job requirements.
The toe-curling moment was mentioned in a lengthy New York Times expose published on the disgraced reporter last week.
The article also detailed Russini’s $800,000 salary, revealing that she was one of the highest-paid journalists at the Times Company.
The piece also shared that, when the scandal first exploded, The Athletic and Russini were in talks over renewing her contract, which was set to expire at the end of June.
Russini has vehemently denied all suggestions of an affair with Vrabel, insisting in a statement announcing her resignation that she stands by every story she has published.
The Patriots coach denied it too, initially, alongside Russini’s claim that they were at the resort with friends. But subsequently, Vrabel said he had started counseling in order ‘to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be’.
He even missed the third day of the NFL Draft with the Patriots as a result of his move.
Russini was paid an eye-watering $800,000-a-year by The Athletic before she quit
Russini and husband Kevin Goldschmidt were married in New Jersey in September 2020
The New York Times piece also disclosed how bosses at The Athletic were unhappy that Russini shared on a podcast how she used her relationship with an NFL head coach to get out of a driving ticket.
Russini revealed on ‘Stugotz and Company’ that she was pulled over in January for texting while driving with her two young sons.
But she managed to prevent a ticket by getting the head coach of the police officer’s favorite team to speak with him on FaceTime. It was not Vrabel.
Danielle Rhoades Ha, a Times Company spokeswoman, called it ‘unacceptable conduct’, while it later emerged that Russini never asked or received permission to go on that podcast, which was required.
Following the publication of the article, the footage of the driving incident emerged, revealing that Russini did not in fact FaceTime the coach but rather used O’Connell’s name and messages to convince the officer to let her off the hook.
News of the investigation still being weeks away from a conclusion won’t be ideal for Vrabel as he builds up to the 2026 campaign starting September.
Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, for over two decades and they have two children
Russini left her job as an NFL reporter after intimate pictures emerged of her and Mike Vrabel
‘I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling,’ Vrabel said in the aftermath of the scandal.
‘This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.
‘This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result.’
Vrabel has since done his best to get back to business and focus on football with the Patriots, who he led to the Super Bowl last season before losing to Seattle Seahawks.
