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Just when we all thought the scandal was over, Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers are once again at the heat of a major investigation. This time, it’s not the NBA they have to fear, but the U.S. Department of Justice itself. According to new intel from league insiders, federal prosecutors have begun their own inquiries into the cap circumvention scandal and could take action if criminal activity is discovered. So far, the investigation is still in the early stages, and no official charges have been filed, but it’s yet another way the Clippers and Kawhi could be punished for their sins, not even a month removed from the NBA’s official ruling. “Federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers helped arrange secret sponsorship contracts for the star player Kawhi Leonard that circumvented the salary cap,” reported The New York Times. “The investigation is in its earliest stages and is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, which has a long history of investigating the NBA and professional sports, according to two of the people.” The timing seems odd given how long this incident has been in the public eye, but authorities reportedly began this investigation before the Clippers received their hefty penalties. In this case, federal investigators won’t be looking for violations of league rules, but rather for violations of federal law, which includes any potential wire fraud, mail fraud, or tax offenses that were involved in the scheme. So far, nothing has been proven, but at least one subpoena has already been served. “The authorities began scrutinizing the matter before the NBA leveled a series of severe punishments last week against the Clippers, its owner and two top executives after a law firm working for the N.B.A. and its commissioner, Adam Silver, concluded that the team had engaged in a wide-ranging effort to break its rules. The inquiry’s scope, targets, and the possible crimes being examined were unclear. But prosecutors have issued at least one subpoena as part of the investigation, according to the two people.” The NBA already conducted an extensive investigation, and they found all sorts of evidence linking the Clippers and specifically owner Steve Ballmer to secret no-show endorsement deals for Kawhi. At least four companies were involved in the scheme, which collectively paid Leonard tens of millions of dollars. Even one of the NBA’s scoreboard makers, Daktronics, was involved, sparking a separate investigation by the SEC. It’s unclear what more federal investigators can discover here, but it’s more evidence that Leonard and the Clippers are not out of the woods just yet. Leonard, specifically (who got off easy in the scandal), could be in the hot seat if his antics broke any federal laws. Unlike the NBA, where he has power through the players’ association, he’ll be on his own in federal court, fighting to avoid criminal charges. For now, of course, the investigation is still ongoing, and neither Kawhi nor the Clippers has any idea of what might happen. The only thing they can really do is wait out the storm and comply with federal authorities in whatever way they can.