NFL commissioner Roger Goodell testified Wednesday in the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Reform’s investigation into the Commanders workplace culture.
New evidence was brought forth by the committee concerning extensive allegations against team owner Dan Snyder. According to a memo from Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Snyder not only used private investigators in his own probe but also “abused the subpoena power of federal courts to obtain private emails, call logs, and communications in an effort to uncover the sources of the Washington Post’s exposés, undermine their credibility, and impugn their motives.”
The 29-page memo details how Snyder allegedly worked to discredit individuals accusing him, but also how the league failed to act independently as well during its internal investigation. Snyder and other Washington executives are accused of misconduct as well as attempting to influence Wilkinson’s investigation. New allegations of how Snyder handled harassment claims against other executives and the kind of workplace culture he allegedly fostered also emerged. The details can be found here.
Snyder’s spokesperson released a statement concerning the new allegations, describing the report, the legislation and hearing as “a politically-charged show trial.”
“It is clear the outcome of the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the Washington Commanders was predetermined from the beginning,” the spokesperson said in a statement, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala. “The committee’s decision to release a ‘report’ and introduce legislation prior to the hearing is proof-positive this was always going to be little more than a politically-charged show trial, not about uncovering the truth. Hopefully, the committee will utilize its resources going forward for more pressing national matters, instead of an issue a football team addressed years ago.”
Rep. Maloney announced last week that she is introducing two bills “to rein in the abuse of non-disclosure, confidentiality, and non-disparagement agreements in the workplace and create new protections for employees whose professional images are used for illegitimate purposes.”
According to a press release about the legislation, this is as a result of the committee’s investigation into the Commanders.
The months-long probe that began in October 2021 is looking into the franchise’s workplace culture, how the league handled misconduct reports and “the NFL’s role in setting and enforcing standards across the League, and legislative reforms needed to address these issues across the NFL and other workplaces,” according to the committee’s press release from earlier this month.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Rep. Maloney announced her intent to issue a subpoena for Snyder for a deposition. She said, “Mr. Snyder’s refusal to testify sends a clear signal that he is more concerned about protecting himself than coming clean to the American public. If the NFL is unwilling to hold Mr. Snyder accountable, then I am prepared to do so. The Committee will not be deterred in its investigation to uncover the truth of workplace misconduct at the Washington Commanders.”
The NFL has shared numerous documents with the committee throughout the investigation, such as a Common Interest Agreement between the NFL and Washington and an engagement letter between Wilkinson’s firm and the franchise.
Additionally, the committee penned an explosive letter to the Federal Trade Commission, asserting that the Commanders and Snyder “may have engaged in a troubling, long-running, and potentially unlawful pattern of financial conduct that victimized thousands of team fans and the National Football League.”
However, one key document that has not been released is the findings from Wilkinson’s report. Last fall, multiple women involved in the investigation called Goodell’s statements on the matter false, calling for full transparency from the league. The league commissioner reiterated why he would not be releasing the report during Wednesday’s hearing.
