NEW YORK — George Mitchell took the job as baseball’s steroids investigator in March 2006 after decades of government service and several years of ties to the sport and commissioner Bud Selig.
A former federal judge and Senate Majority Leader, the 74-year-old has been a director of the Boston Red Sox since John Henry’s group bought the franchise in 2002, and also served on Selig’s economic study committee from 1999-2000.
“I don’t think there’s any conflict,” he said when he was hired to investigate performancing-enhancing drug use in baseball.
“I’m going to be independent, have complete independent authority and will act.” In the late 1990s, Mitchell also led a U.S. Olympic Committee ethics panel following allegations of bribery against Salt Lake City’s bid committee.
Mitchell served as Majority Leader from 1989-95, then left the Senate and helped broker a 1998 peace agreement in Northern Ireland. In 1994, he turned down President Clinton’s offer of an appointment to the Supreme Court.
He began his career as a lawyer for the Justice Department from 1960-62, then spent three years as executive assistant to Senator Edmund Muskie, a Maine Democrat. Following 12 years in private practice, Mitchell was the U.S. Attorney for Maine from 1977-79, spent a year as a federal judge, then was appointed to complete Muskie’s term as senator when Muskie became Secretary of State.
Mitchell was elected to a full term in 1982, then re-elected in 1988.
He also served as chairman of The Walt Disney Co., ESPN’s parent company, from March 2004-2006.
Mitchell is a partner and chairman of the global board of DLA Piper, the law firm that headed the drugs investigation.
