Marty Hurney is back with the Panthers. On Friday, the Panthers announced that they have reinstated the interim GM after the completion of a league investigation into harassment allegations. 
“Its been a very long two weeks for Marty and his family,” Hurney’s attorney, Kathleen Lucchesi, said in a statement (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s David Newton). “In this digital age, it’s nearly impossible to overcome suspicion, defend yourself, and clear your name once the court of public opinion gets a hold of a false narrative. The public scrutiny can be devastating and unrelenting. In this case, it was also unnecessary. Words cannot express how thankful Marty is for the love and unwavering support of his family. He is grateful to the NFL for conducting a thorough investigation. He is also grateful for the continued confidence and support of the Panthers organization. Marty is looking forward to getting back to the work of building a strong and successful Panthers team for the 2018 season.”
It was said to be a foregone conclusion that Hurney would be appointed to the Panthers’ permanent GM post, but things were thrown into flux when his ex-wife raised allegations against him. Even though his former partner, Jeanne, withdrew the claims in court, the NFL still did its due diligence. Meanwhile, the Panthers placed Hurney on paid leave and suspended the GM search.
Now that Hurney has been cleared of wrongdoing by the NFL, the Panthers may move quickly to make him the full-time GM hire. However, Bills scout Lake Dawson received two interviews for the job and he is reportedly a legitimate candidate for the post. The team also met with 49ers exec Martin Mayhew and Texans player personnel VP Jimmy Raye III.