Cleveland Browns deny they have reassigned Lew Merletti, senior VP of security

 
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns President Mike Holmgren denied on Wednesday that the club has reassigned Lew Merletti, senior vice president of security.

Sources have told The Plain Dealer that Merletti would be reassigned to Brooklyn Holdings LLC, the investment firm of Browns owner Randy Lerner.

"Lew has been a valuable part of this organization for a long, long, long time," Holmgren said. "Is he approaching, getting closer to retirement? Absolutely. But this is not true."

Holmgren said the club is incorporating some changes in its security department, but Merletti would remain in charge of the department. Holmgren said that one change involves moving Carl Meyer, vice president of security, from the team's headquarters facility to an office in Cleveland Browns Stadium.

When the Browns returned as an expansion franchise, Merletti, the former director of the U.S. Secret Service, was hand-picked by late Browns owner Al Lerner to oversee team security. Since 1999, Merletti held a variety of titles which entailed responsibilities other than security, such as stadium operations and chief operating officer.

But he was always known for his ties to the Secret Service, where he served for 25 years. In that time, he was an agent in the protective teams of former Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Merletti was in charge of all of Clinton's security detail starting in 1994. He was sworn in as the 19th director of the Secret Service in 1997.

Merletti, a Pittsburgh native, retired from the Secret Service on Nov. 12, 1998 to heed Lerner's call. Once on board, Merletti's connections provided Browns executives, coaches and players with exclusive access to the White House and other government institutions. Team trips to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., usually included private tours set up by Merletti.

Merletti is well-respected in the NFL and was frequently consulted by the league on security matters. He was one of the first people the league office called after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Twin Towers in 2001. Merletti later contributed to the framework of the NFL's enhanced security measures as a result of that disaster. 

Reported by Tony Grossi, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer