Football superstar Peyton Manning has turned to Ari Fleischer for PR help as the Denver Broncos quarterback pushes back against an Al Jazeera investigative report that alleges he used performance-enhancing drugs.
Fleischer, the former press secretary for President George W. Bush, has focused on sports PR and crisis communications through his New York firm since leaving the White House.
Manning, one of professional sports' most visible and marketable athletes, has refuted the Al Jazeera report. "Dark Side," linking him to an anti-aging clinic in Indianapolis in 2011, when he was recovering from neck surgery that threatened his career.
The report included sources naming other prominent athletes like baseball's Ryan Howard, and claimed banned substances were shipped to Manning's wife ostensibly for him.
Manning released a statement through the Broncos PR office shortly after the report was published online Sunday, calling the allegation that he used PEDs "complete garbage" and "totally made up." He added: "It never happened. Never. I really can't believe somebody would put something like this on the air."
Fleischer further worked to refute the report, telling reporters the employee of the Guyer Institute who was a key source for the story did not work at the clinic when Manning was treated there.
Manning has acknowledged seeking treatment at the clinic.
SB Nation has a breakdown of Fleischer's PR work since leaving the White House.
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