NY Jets: Donald Trump reportedly tried to stop Spygate investigation

The NY Jets have a long and storied rivalry with the New England Patriots. From Bill Belichick to the "Butt Fumble," some of the most infamous moments in franchise history have involved their arch-rivals from Boston.

Of course, none may be more infamous than the disgraced Spygate incident from nearly 15 years ago. And that story might have a new, unexpected twist to it.

ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham released a report on Wednesday that detailed how former President Donald Trump attempted to prevent the Spygate investigation from continuing.

The report suggests that Trump offered a payment to then U.S. Senator Arlen Specter to shut down the ongoing investigation surrounding the Patriots' videotaping scandal.

Donald Trump attempted to play a role in the NY Jets/Patriots Spygate scandal

Specter, who passed away back in 2012, was the person who requested an independent investigation of the matter after he was displeased with the NFL's handling of the situation.

The result saw the Patriots stripped of their first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft and fined $250,000 while head coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for his part in the incident.

This new information comes from Charles Robbins who was a Specter-affiliated communications aide and ghostwriter of two of the former senator's books.

Robbins revealed that an anonymous friend (believed to be Trump), a longtime friend and associate of Patriots' owner Robert Kraft, had dinner with Specter in early 2008 in Palm Beach, not far from Kraft's home in Florida.

The friend then offered Spector what he believed to be a bribe stating "If you laid off the Patriots, there'd be a lot of money in Palm Beach."

While it should be noted that this "friend" has remained anonymous, Specter's son, Shanin, seems convinced that the individual is Trump stating the following.

"My father told me that Trump was acting as a messenger for Kraft. But I’m equally sure the reference to money in Palm Beach was campaign contributions, not cash. The offer was Kraft assisting with campaign contributions. … My father said it was Kraft’s offer, not someone else’s. He told me about the call in the wake of the conversation and his anger about it. … My father was upset when (these conversations) would happen because he felt as if it were tantamount to a bribe solicitation, though the case law on this subject says it isn’t."

- Shanin Specter

Trump's senior advisor, Jason Miller, has released a statement denying the claims stating "this is completely false. We have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The Jets/Patriots rivalry has spanned decades and taken more twists and turns than can be recounted.

This is just the latest development in the ongoing narrative that encompasses these two organizations.