NJ Gov. Murphy 'Disgusted' Over Abuse Cover-Up, Won't Say If He's Responsible

NEW JERSEY — Gov. Phil Murphy said he felt "disgusted" by investigative findings that the professional soccer team he owns had covered up a former coach's abuse and misconduct. But he doesn't want to say whether he takes any responsibility.

Murphy made his first public comments Wednesday about a 319-page report, released this week, regarding abuse at the highest levels of American women's soccer. The investigation — led by former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates — details Sky Blue FC's alleged role in covering up a former coach's emotional abuse toward athletes. Read more: Abuse Covered Up By NJ Gov. Murphy's Soccer Team: Investigation

The governor and First Lady Tammy Murphy have owned the club, which is now called NJ/NY Gotham FC, since founding the franchise in 2006.

Former head coach Christy Holly emotionally abused Sky Blue athletes and had a romantic relationship with the team captain that became detrimental to the squad, according to the report. When Sky Blue let Holly go in 2017, they painted a positive picture of his time with the squad, which allowed Holly to continue getting coaching gigs, including one in which he sexually abused and harassed an athlete, Yates says.

The Murphy administration initially deferred comment to Gotham FC. But when asked about the investigative findings Wednesday at an unrelated event, Murphy said he felt "disgusted by what I've read."

The United States Soccer Federation retained Yates and law firm King & Spalding to probe alleged abuse within the organization and the National Women's Soccer League. The NWSL and NWSL Players Association continue to conduct a parallel inquiry. (The NWSL, which includes Gotham FC, is the top professional women's soccer league in the United States. The USSF is the nation's official soccer governing body.)

"I have not read the entirety of the report, but what I’ve read is disgusting," Murphy said. "It’s completely reprehensible and completely unacceptable. Secondly, I would say, that study was done by the U.S. Soccer Federation. I hope the league will get out ahead of this and put reforms in place, put steps in place, so that stuff like this can never ever happen again."

Murphy commended the "incredibly brave women who came forward." But the governor said he won't comment on specifics, since the separate investigation remains ongoing.

Asked whether he takes responsibility for the matter, Murphy said, "I'm gonna stay with what I said."

The recently released investigation focuses on three former coaches accused of abuse, including Holly. He became Sky Blue's head coach in 2016 and held the position until August 2017, when the team let him go midseason.

Former General Manager Tony Novo said he received "half a dozen or so" complaints about Holly's "abusive" behavior starting in 2016, according to Yates's report. Holly also had a romantic relationship with then-team captain Christie Pearce Rampone that became disruptive to the locker room, the investigation states.

But when Sky Blue let Holly go in August 2017, the team stated in a press release that his departure was a "mutual decision" and that he left on good terms. Holly moved on to different coaching gigs, becoming NWSL team Racing Louisville's head coach in August 2020.

Racing Louisville fired Holly in August 2021 after an athlete told team management that he repeatedly sexually abused her, according to the investigation.

Gotham FC is reviewing the report's findings in conjunction with the NWSL, a team spokesperson said.

"We deeply appreciate and are indebted to everyone who came forward to share their experiences and shape the report," the spokesperson said, "including our own players and employees."

Murphy was not yet governor but was in the midst of campaigning for his first term when Sky Blue fired Holly in 2017. This is the second time a Murphy-run entity has been accused of mishandling misconduct allegations from around that time.

A former Murphy administration staffer claimed that Murphy's then-campaign advisor Al Alvarez raped her that year, with allegations becoming public in 2018. Katie Brennan sued the state, Alvarez and the Murphy administration, which culminated in a $1 million settlement in May 2020. Murphy has long said he didn't know about the allegations against Alvarez until after the Wall Street Journal published them in 2018, but a bipartisan committee of state lawmakers said Murphy "mishandled" the rape accusation.