Lawyers representing the Washington Commanders sent a scathing letter to the House Oversight and Reform Committee expressing his displeasure over the ongoing investigation into workplace misconduct.
The congressional committee’s eight-month investigation found Commanders Owner Dan Snyder played a significant role in fostering a toxic work environment and pointed to evidence suggesting he impeded the NFL’s independent investigation into those allegations.
The nine-page letter aggressively responds to the investigation and was addressed to House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney, DN.Y. The letter characterized the investigation as “politically inspired hatchet work”.
The letter may be a last ditch effort by Snyder to shift the blame. Commanders’ legal counsel, Holland & Knight, wrote that the investigation has been unfair and is an attempt to destroy Snyder’s reputation.
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Team co-owner Dan Snyder speaks during the announcement of the name change from the Washington Football Team to the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field on February 2, 2022 in Landover, Maryland.
(Rob Carr/Getty Images)
“The Washington Commanders’ investigation has not been fair, thorough, or bipartisan, and it certainly has not sought the truth. From the beginning, the Committee set out with a single purpose: to destroy Dan Snyder and his family and to attempt, through deceit, innuendo and half-truths, to remove him from the National Football League,” former Rep. Tom Davis wrote in the letter. Republican from Virginia, partner in Holland & Knight.
That statement is in direct conflict with the 2021 NFL findings.
Davis also noted that Snyder denied allegations made by a former cheerleader on the team who accused Snyder of sexually harassing her during a work-related event in 2004.
Earlier this year, the NFL launched its second independent investigation of the organization this year after allegations were raised at a House Oversight and Reform Committee roundtable.
Congress began investigating the team in October 2021 when allegations of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct surfaced after then-Raiders head coach Jon Gruden resigned following leaked emails with then-commander team chairman Bruce Allen.
Allen was fired in December 2019 after 10 years with the franchise in which he served in various executive positions.
Team co-owners Dan and Tanya Snyder pose for a photo with former team members during the announcement of the name change from the Washington Football Team to the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field on February 2, 2022 in Landover, Maryland.
(False images)
Snyder refused to testify at a US House Committee hearing in June as part of the investigation. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell offered his testimony before the committee.
Goodell condemned the workplace culture in Washington, but clarified that changes were implemented after the NFL investigation. Goodell argued that the changes affected not just Washington but the entire league.
The commissioner also emphasized that the league held Snyder accountable, including his assessment of an “unprecedented” $10 million fine on the team.
Following Goodell’s testimony, Snyder testified before the United States House Oversight Committee for more than 10 hours. However, the deposition was held virtually and in private.
It shouldn’t be surprising that NFL officials he declined to comment on the letter.
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The strongly worded letter and the imminent conclusion of the congressional investigation are occurring as other owners and high-ranking NFL executives weigh whether Snyder should continue to own a franchise.
It’s unclear if a vote is pending on Snyder’s future as owner. Snyder also reportedly clashed sexual assault allegations in 2009, and the team paid a woman $1.6 million to settle her claims.
FedEx Field before a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Football Team on November 29, 2021 in Landover, Maryland.
(AP Photo/Mark Tenally, File)
The $1.6 million deal it had been previously reported, but details of the woman’s allegations were not released.
The woman agreed not to sue the team or publicly reveal her allegations as part of the settlement.
According to the letter, Snyder denied the woman’s allegations and an investigative team accused her of fabricating the claims in an attempt to extort money from him.
Snyder, his representatives and the organization have denied all allegations of financial improprieties and workplace misconduct against them.
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Snyder has owned the NFL franchise based in Washington, DC since 1999. He has temporarily relinquished the day-to-day operations of the franchise to his wife Tanya.