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Prosecutors accuse Robert Kraft's lawyers of lying in court

Kraft's attorney, William Burck, denied the allegations in a phone interview with NBC News, saying they "are false, reckless, and unethical."
Robert Kraft
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft on April 10, 2019.Kathy Willens / AP file

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May 8, 2019, 1:09 AM UTC
By Janelle Griffith and Xuan Thai

Prosecutors in the solicitation of prostitution case against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft have accused two of his defense attorneys of lying.

The Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office filed a motion Tuesday asking that attorneys Alex Spiro and William Burck be held in contempt.

Kraft, 77, pleaded not guilty in February to two counts of soliciting a prostitute at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida. Authorities allege he paid for a sex act at the spa on Jan. 19 and again the morning of Jan. 20, hours before the Patriots won the AFC Championship that sent them to the Super Bowl, according to court documents.

APRIL 27: Robert Kraft hearing gets heated over massage parlor video

April 27, 201901:35

Prosecutors claim that in court last week, Spiro falsely accused Jupiter police officer Scott Kimbark of telling other officers he would lie to justify the traffic stop of another Orchids of Asia Day Spa customer.

Burck denied the allegations Tuesday in a phone interview with NBC News, calling them "false, reckless and unethical."

"Alex Spiro and our firm will not be intimidated by the state attorney and their efforts to smear us with false allegations and will not deter us from defending our client from what we have contended are unconstitutional illegal acts," Burck said, adding that he plans to file a response in court.

"To us, this is evidence that this is an effort to deflect attention that their officers and lawyers themselves for the state engaged in various acts that are unauthorized and illegal and against the law in this case," Burck said.

Kraft was one of several men charged with solicitation after police secretly installed cameras at the spa in what authorities initially said was a monthslong investigation into human trafficking. Investigators have since said that there was no evidence of human trafficking at the spa.

Kraft released a statement addressing the charges against him in late March.

"Throughout my life, I have always tried to do the right thing," he said in part. "The last thing I would ever want to do is disrespect another human being. I have extraordinary respect for women."

Janelle Griffith

Janelle Griffith is a breaking news reporter for NBC News. 

Xuan Thai

Xuan Thai is a producer for MSNBC in New York.  She previously lived in Washington DC where she covered the White House during the Bush and Obama administrations.  Thai also covered Capitol Hill during the 2011 fiscal crisis, responsible for covering the activities of both the U.S. House and Senate.

She has filed reports from across the country and around the world, including Iraq with Vice President Biden, Saudi Arabia with President Bush, and Indonesia with President Obama.   Prior to her move to journalism, Thai was a federal litigator, representing the United States' interests in federal court.  You can follow her on Twitter @Xuan_Thai.

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