From Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune:

One name stood out among the accused parties in the Saints' bounty scandal. Mike Ornstein.

Ornstein officially has never been employed by the Saints but his implication in the scandal -- his emails pledging money for the bounty pool reportedly were turned up in the NFL's investigation -- speaks to the cozy relationship he had with the team.

His ties to the Saints date to 2006 when he worked as the marketing agent for Reggie Bush, who the club selected with the second overall pick of the NFL draft.

Ornstein became fast friends with Sean Payton and a fixture around the Saints' facility and at games. While the club never listed him as an official employee, his fingerprints were all over the organization.

The depth of Ornstein's involvement in the latest scandal varies depending upon on the source.

Citing an internal NFL memo sent to all 32 teams about the bounty scandal, CBSSports.com reported that Ornstein on at least four occasions pledged rewards of $5,000 to $10,000 to the Saints' bounty pool from 2009 to 2011.

Among the 18,000 documents league investigators examined is an email from Ornstein to Saints' coaches last season in which he pledged money for a knockout blow to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers before the NFL kickoff game, according to a source familiar with the situation.

That same source insists Ornstein sent the message in jest. Payton reportedly told NFL investigators last week he did not read the email.

Whether the NFL buys either claim remains to be seen. This isn't a court of law. The league can and will rule on its own volition.