Jimmy Haslam agrees to deposition under certain circumstances

Jimmy Haslam, CEO of Pilot Flying J and owner of the Cleveland Browns, has agreed to be deposed over ongoing civil lawsuits connected to a rebate fraud scheme carried out by the Haslam family's $33 billion truck stop chain.

"We can only guess that plaintiff views a deposition of Mr. Haslam as a threat designed for some litigation advantage. We are disappointed by this gamesmanship, but eager to put it behind us. For that reason, Mr. Haslam is willing to schedule a deposition in the civil cases pending against Pilot Corp., Pilot Travel Centers LLC, and various individual defendants, so long as the deposition proceeds in the orderly manner outlined below," writes Stephen D. Brody, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney representing Haslam, in a letter to an attorney suing Haslam.

Judge rejects Jimmy Haslam's bid to avoid deposition

Brody filed the letter along with other documents in court Friday. The documents say Jimmy Haslam, brother of Gov. Bill Haslam, would agree to sit for a deposition under specific circumstances. That includes waiting to see how the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rules on a case, and as long as the deposition takes place over the course of one seven-hour day. Brody also requested a coordinated effort across all of the pending civil cases so Haslam is only deposed once.

Jimmy Haslam is being sued by Wright Transportation, an Alabama-based trucking company, and several other companies around the country in connection to the scheme. The Knoxville-based company agreed to rebate deals with many customers, only to not actually provide those rebates. The case has led to 10 guilty pleas to federal indictments, another eight pending federal indictments and more than $100 million in fees and restitution.

Jimmy Haslam has denied knowing about the scheme or having any part in the scheme, and he's not been charged. Attorneys for Wright Transportation and others believe information gathered by the FBI indicates Jimmy Haslam at least knew of the scheme.

Judge orders Jimmy Haslam deposed in Pilot civil suit

Attorneys for Jimmy Haslam have fought deposition efforts in the past. Brody says the attorneys representing Wright Transportation have not responded to his proposal for a deposition. An Alabama judge had originally ordered a deposition to occur on May 11, but that was delayed in order to discuss the issue at a May 13 hearing.

Brody said the deposition of Jimmy Haslam should be delayed until after an Alabama federal court decides whether the case should proceed in state or federal court. That appeal has been scheduled for oral argument on July 12.

Stephen Tunstall, an attorney for Wright Transportation, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Discussing Haslam, Tunstall previously told The Tennessean, "He’s never, ever had to sit under oath live and answer the hard questions about his knowledge and his participation with regard to the fraud."

Joel Ebert contributed to this report. 

Reach Dave Boucher at 615-259-8892 and on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.