It’s been less than one full day since the poker community learned that professional poker pros and Full Tilt Poker board members Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson had been accused by the U.S. Department of Justice of defrauding players out of millions of dollars, but already the attack on their reputation is producing more ramifications.
On Wednesday, the Epic Poker League released a statement saying that the EPL has decided to suspend both Lederer and Ferguson from the tournament series pending the outcome of the indictment against them.
So Much For Sisterly Love!
The suspension was handed down by Stephen Martin, the EPL’s Chairman of the Standards and Conduct Committee, which includes Tournament Director Matt Savage, Andy Bloch, Joe Hachem, Mike McDonalad, and most interestingly, Annie Duke. Annie Duke, who is the sister of Howard Lederer, acts as the commissioner of the EPL, however, she is a non-voting committee member, which removed her from any obligation of having to rule against her brother.
“The goal of the EPL is to put the players first and to build the professionalism of the sport so that the entire poker community benefits” Martin said. “In order to raise poker to the levels of a legitimately recognized national sport, there must be a disciplinary body that takes action against those who are going to bring harm to the game.”
Rafe Furst, who was the third party named in the indictment, was not mentioned in the EPL suspension statement, most likely because Furst is currently not a card-carrying member of the league.
EPL Attracting Plenty Of Controversy In Formative Months
This isn’t the first time that the EPL has levied punishments on its players either, as former EPL main event champ David “Chino” Rheem faced disciplinary action after failing to pay outstanding debts owed, while Pro/Am qualifier Michael DiVita was asked to return his tournament buy-in after it was discovered that he was a registered sex offender.
Looking towards the future now, it is likely that we can expect to see other organizations place restrictions or suspensions on both Lederer and/or Ferguson, so stay tuned to PokerBlog.com for more on this situation as it develops.
Chris
- Chris Laquinta is a magazine editor, content specialist and poker fanatic with 10+ years writing experience and over 1,500 published articles. Chris is a naitive of Southern California, where he spent his entire life learning gaming concepts and theories from relatives that had been former professional gamblers. He currently resides in Torrance, CA where he works as a professional content writer and part-time SNG professional.
