OU basketball: Texts, calls exchanged between coach, financial adviser's phones
by: GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer and JAKE TROTTER The Oklahoman
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
5/19/2010 6:17:40 PM
NORMAN ? Oronde Taliaferro, the former Oklahoma assistant basketball coach who abruptly resigned April 8, exchanged at least 41 phone calls and 25 text messages over a 10-month period with Jeffrey Hausinger, a Tampa financial adviser who reportedly wired $3,000 into the bank account of former OU forward Tiny Gallon.
The Oklahoman and Tulsa World discovered the communications, which took place from May 2009 to March 2010, during a review of Taliaferro's phone records, as requested by both newspapers under the Oklahoma Open Records Act.
After attempting first to shield Taliaferro's phone records, OU complied with the records requests this week, then issued a statement today confirming calls were made from Taliaferro's phone to Hausinger and that the exchanges are part of an ongoing, joint investigation by OU and the NCAA.
Records indicate calls and texts were exchanged from Taliaferro's cell phone and Hausinger's office and cell phones beginning May 12, 2009, and continued periodically through March 9, 2010.
The correspondence peaked in August 2009, the same month TMZ.com claims Hausinger wired the money into a bank account held by Gallon and his mother, Sylvia Wright. Gallon has since declared for the NBA Draft.
Taliaferro had no comment on the matter when last reached, the day of his resignation.
Hausinger, who resigned from his Tampa Merrill Lynch firm March 26 and began work at Raymond James Financial Services in Tampa March 29, did not return messages left on his office phone Wednesday.
Hausinger is contesting his resignation from Merrill Lynch, according to a document on the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority website.
In the document, Hausinger states he resigned "because I believe a fellow Merrill Lynch agent disclosed to the media my private financial information. The media reports indicated that I gave money to Willie Warren or Keith Gallon are false.
"I also did not give any money to Sylvia Wright, who was not, nor is a Merrill Lynch customer. I also violated no Merrill Lynch policy, procedure or regulation, and I believe Merrill Lynch was conducting this investigation as a cover for the media inquiries it received."
Since the story about Gallon and Hausinger was reported, the Tulsa World has made multiple attempts to reach Merrill Lynch officials for comment. Messages have not been returned.
Calls made between Taliaferro and Hausinger do not necessarily constitute NCAA violations.
However, if it's discovered the two conspired to provide Gallon with "extra benefits," OU's men's basketball program could be found guilty of major infractions.
The Sooner athletic department is still on probation for previous violations in both the football and men's basketball programs.
That probation expires Sunday.
Originally Posted by yermom
