Commanders owner Dan Snyder gave misleading testimony and meddled in House probe, report says

Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder misled congress when he testified as part of the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into sexual harassment and hostile workplace allegations against the NFL team, according to a damning and wide-ranging report released Thursday.  

The Commanders created a ‘toxic work culture’ for more than two decades, according to the Committee’s report, which claims the team ignored sexual misconduct by high-ranking men within the organization. 

Snyder was directly involved in the misconduct, the Committee claims, saying he inappropriately touched a former employee at a dinner and once requested a staff-produced video ‘of sexually suggestive footage of cheerleaders.’ Snyder has previously denied the claims. 

The 58-year-old billionaire allegedly interfered in the NFL’s investigation stemming from 2020 allegations of rampant sexual harassment by executives. Specifically, Snyder is accused of offering hush money to witnesses, intimidating others with the help of private investigators, and ‘blocking the production of documents.’

Daniel Snyder made misleading statements to congress when he testified as part of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s investigation into sexual harassment and hostile workplace allegations against the NFL’s Washington Commanders , according to a damning and wide-ranging report released Thursday

Snyder is accused of interfering in the league’s probe, which was handled by attorney Beth Wilkinson’s firm, by conducting his own ‘shadow investigation,’ casting ‘him as the victim of a defamation campaign.’

The shadow investigation was done, in part, to ‘deflect responsibility for the team’s toxic work culture,’ according to the congressional report.

Snyder also interfered with the Committee probe by ‘intimidating witnesses,’ ‘refusing to release former employees form their confidentiality obligations’ and blocking ‘the Committee’s access to tens of thousands of documents collected during the Wilkinson Investigation.’

And when he did testify to the committee, according to the report, Snyder was evasive and misleading, claiming more than 100 times that he had no memory of certain details.

‘For example, although Mr. Snyder admitted to using private investigators, he testified that he was ”unaware” whom his investigators approached and did not ”remember” having conversations with his counsel about the individuals targeted,’ read the report. 

Publicizing their findings before the Republicans take over Congress next month, the Committee’s Democrats also accused the 58-year-old billionaire or his staff of leaking racially derogatory, years-old emails from former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, who was subsequently fired by that team last season. 

In the emails, which were sent more than a decade ago in some cases, Gruden said African-American players’ union executive director DeMaurice Smith had ‘lips the size of Michelin tires’ and also called NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a ‘f*****.’  

Publicizing their findings before the Republicans take over Congress next month, the Committee’s Democrats also accused the 58-year-old billionaire or his staff of leaking racially derogatory, years-old emails from former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden (pictured), who was subsequently fired by that team. According to testimony by former Commanders team president Bruce Allen, the recipient of the emails, Snyder made the leak to ‘send a message’ to Allen, one of Snyder’s perceived enemies

According to congressional testimony by former Commanders team president Bruce Allen, the recipient of the emails, Snyder made the leak in late 2021 to ‘send a message’ to Allen, one of his perceived enemies. 

‘According to Mr. Allen, Mr. Snyder’s actions signaled that ”he owns me with these emails, which affect my coworkers, the alumni, my family and friends,” read an excerpt from the 79-page report released Thursday.

Allen also testified that Snyder discussed using private investigators to follow Goodell as well as himself. 

‘The investigators told Mr. Allen that they were ”just here to follow you” and ”document your actions,” read the report. ‘Mr. Allen testified that Mr. Snyder commented on his plans to use of private investigators to follow other individuals, including Commissioner Roger Goodell.’

John Brownlee and Stuart Nash, the Commanders’ legal counsel, released a statement Thursday calling the committee’s investigation ‘one-sided’ and claiming that there were ‘no new revelations’ in the report.

‘And, ironically for an ”investigative” body, supposedly engaged in an ”investigation,” the investigators actually criticize the team and Mr. Snyder for providing evidence to the Committee — such as e-mails former team employees sent from their workplace accounts — that reveal the actual causes of the formerly dysfunctional workplace environment at the team,’ the statement said.

Former team president Bruce Allen (right in 2018) also testified that Snyder discussed using private investigators to accumulate information about NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in an effort to gain leverage over the league as it investigated himself and the team. Furthermore, Allen claimed he was followed by Snyder’s private investigators. Snyder (left) has enlisted an investment bank to help him look into selling the NFL franchise 

See also  Mother and grandmother of girl, 9, arrested for murder after she died from severe LICE infestation 

Congressman Byron Donalds (Republican-Florida), listens to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell testify remotely during the House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing titled Tackling Toxic Workplaces: Examining the NFLs Handling of Workplace Misconduct at the Washington Commanders, in Rayburn Building on Wednesday, June 22

Sexual harassment allegations against team employees surfaced in 2020, and range from inappropriate comments to the creation of a lewd behind-the-scenes video from a cheerleader calendar shoot in 2008.

Furthermore, a former cheerleader also alleged that team owner Dan Snyder suggested that she join his ‘close friend’ in a hotel room in 2004 so they ‘could get to know each other.’

Those revelations prompted a team investigation handled independently by DC-area attorney Beth Wilkinson, but the league quickly assumed control of that probe with Wilkinson’s team reporting to the commissioner’s office.

The NFL then issued a $10 million fine to punish the club (which is worth an estimated $5.6 billion) and Snyder volunteered to cede day-to-day control of the team to his wife, Tanya.

But the league’s refusal to release a report on its investigation, citing privacy concerns of witnesses, prompted the Oversight Committee to launch its own investigation into the team, Snyder, and even the NFL.

Redskins cheerleaders seen dancing as part of a 2004 event, where Tiffany Bacon Scourby claims Snyder suggested she spend some time with a close friend of his in a nearby hotel room

Ex-Commanders employee Tiffani Johnston told Congress’ Oversight Committee that Snyder once groped her thigh during a team dinner and pushed her toward his limousine with his hand on her lower back. Snyder has denied the allegation 

That investigation has led to more allegations of sexual harassment. Specifically, former team employee Tiffani Johnston testified in February that Snyder grabbed her thigh at a team dinner and pressured her to get into a limousine – claims that Snyder has since denied.

Johnston’s testimony triggered a new league investigation that’s currently being led by Mary Jo White, a former US attorney and chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Republicans plan to drop the case when they take over the House in early January, and earlier this week, circulated a memo to the Committee’s GOP membership, claiming the Democrat-led probe ‘leaned on unsubstantiated allegations as fact.’

‘Committee Democrats’ investigation has had one goal since its inception: force Team owner Dan Snyder to give up the Team,’ read the minority staff memorandum. 

The Republican members of the Committee accused Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos of publishing negative stories about Snyder and the team as part of his reported effort to buy the team. 

Recently Snyder and his wife Tanya enlisted Bank of America to explore selling part of all of the team, which he bought in 1999. 

‘In the last month, as news organizations reported that the Snyder family was working with a financial institution to consider possible financial transactions related to the Team, including its possible sale, a long-running theory about what could have prompted Committee Democrats’ investigation was given more credence,’ the Republicans’ statement continued. 

‘Within hours of the news breaking of a possible future sale, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was reported to be interested in purchasing the team; Bezos has long been rumored to be interested in purchasing the team. Bezos is also the owner of The Washington Post, whose negative coverage of Dan Snyder has been a key driver of Committee Democrats’ investigation. 

‘Given the targeted, predetermined nature of Committee Democrats’ investigation of the Team and its owner, it appears that the entire effort may have had as its goal the removal of an unfavored owner and the installation of the owner of a left-leaning newspaper sympathetic to the Democratic party.’

Fired Commanders president Bruce Allen testified that Snyder planned to use private investigators to follow himself and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell 

The Oversight Committee’s probe has also led to allegations that the team improperly withheld security deposits from season-ticket holders.

The team has been sued by the District of Columbia over the alleged scheme, and last month, the Commanders settled with the state of Maryland, agreeing to repay cheated season-ticket holders and a $250,000 fine stemming from a related investigation.

Washington DC Attorney General Karl Racine has also sued the Commanders, Snyder, and the NFL over its handling of the sexual harassment allegations. 

‘For years, the team and its owner have caused very real and very serious harm and then lied about it to dodge accountability,’ Racine said at a November press conference. ‘They did all of this to hide the truth, protect their images and let the profits continue to roll.’