Robert Kraft unlikely to be forced to sell Patriots over solicitation charge

Robert Kraft’s pending arrest for soliciting a prostitute will present him with a number of major issues, but losing his NFL franchise is not likely to be one of them. The New England Patriots owner was charged with misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution in south Florida on Friday, and ESPN’s Kevin Seifert did some digging on what that charge might mean for Kraft. He concluded that the charge is unlikely to lead to Kraft selling or losing his franchise. Kraft’s problems within the NFL are likely to come in the form of the league’s personal conduct policy, which applies to owners as well as players. The league states that owners are held to an even higher standard than players, so Kraft’s punishment could be severe. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was punished by the league after pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated in 2014. He received a six-game suspension as well as a $500,000 fine. A guilty plea is not required for commissioner Roger Goodell to hand down discipline under the policy.

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