It’s getting uglier.
The Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday issued a sharply-worded letter to Hamilton County leaders and Prosecutor Connie Pillich, calling her recent public claims about the team’s lease negotiations for Paycor Stadium “plainly false,” according to Local 12’s James Pilcher.
The letter, which was signed by Bengals in-house counsel Emma Compton, marks the latest escalation in a tense week that began when Pillich urged county commissioners to fire longtime outside counsel Tom Gabelman and his firm, Frost Brown Todd, from stadium negotiations. Commissioners voted unanimously for the removal.
In the letter, Compton said the Bengals “express our serious objection to your public comments and urge you to withdraw such comments, which are plainly false.”
She also noted that Pillich has not participated in any stadium negotiations since taking office in January.
The Bengals cited their continued commitment to negotiations, including a $120 million investment plan and $45 million already spent on stadium upgrades. The team also reiterated its goal to finalize a term sheet with the county by June 1 and a comprehensive lease agreement by June 30.
The current stadium lease expires in June 2026, but the team must decide by June 30 whether to extend it.
You can read the letter in its entirety here.
