The whistleblower on the Louisville basketball sex scandal, Katina Powell will cooperate with the NCAA's investigation and will turn over documents such as phone records and personal notes.
Powell's lawyer, Larry Wilder, said his client will also submit to an interview next week with NCAA investigators, ESPN reported. Powell published in her book, "Breaking Cardinal Rules," that she and other women were paid to strip for Louisville basketball players, in addition to having sex with them occasionally.
Powell claims Andre McGee, a former University of Louisville (UL) basketball staffer, paid her and other escorts to come to parties between 2010 and 2014 at a campus residence hall where basketball recruits would be. McGee would sometimes pay extra for "side deals," which Powell previously told ESPN's Outside the Lines meant sex.
Five former UL basketball players told OTL they attended such parties, and one of them said he had sex with an escort McGee hired. Powell also recalled an instance in which McGee implied to her that the team's head coach, Rick Pitino knew what was going on because he "knew everything."
Pitino has since denied knowing anything of the sort and stated he will not resign amid the allegations. A group of UL students filed a lawsuit against Powell, accusing her of bruising the school's good name.
Five women implicated in Powell's book - Jemiah Nash, Marquease Richardson, Precious Burnley, Shinita Martin and Dolly Bolden - joined that lawsuit, The Associated Press reported, claiming they were falsely identified as participating in prostitution.
The NCAA began investigating Powell's claims about two weeks ago, ESPN learned at the time. A few days later, prosecutors in Jefferson County began issuing subpoenas in relation to the legal case.
Wilder previously stated Powell would not be participating in any investigations unless she was guaranteed immunity. While the NCAA may not have the authority to punish her, what she tells investigators may be brought up in a legal case against her.
It is not clear if Wilder reached any sort of immunity agreement with law enforcement, or if Powell has already spoken to police investigators. Those involved in the case could be subject to criminal charges in addition to administrative sanctions from UL and the NCAA.
