Washington proprietor Daniel Snyder on the sidelines earlier than a recreation towards the Chicago Bears at FedEx Field in 2019.
Jonathan Newton | The Washington Post | Getty Images
The NFL and the Washington Commanders misled the general public about an investigation into decades-long misconduct within the staff’s office, in response to a report from the House Oversight and Reform Committee launched Thursday after a yearlong probe.
The panel additionally stated the NFL and Commanders proprietor Daniel Snyder impeded its investigation into the matter. The lawmakers accused Snyder of giving “misleading testimony,” as effectively.
CNBC reached out to the NFL and the Commanders for remark.
Snyder is amongst these accused of sexual misconduct, who has been pursuing the doable sale of the staff since final month. Snyder has pushed again on allegations towards him and the staff.
The Commanders had employed lawyer Beth Wilkinson to analyze claims of sexual harassment inside the staff’s group that had been printed by The Washington Post in 2020. The NFL informed her to “complete a written report of its findings” surrounding the Commanders’ office tradition.
But then the league refused to launch the written report, as a substitute presenting their findings orally so as to “better preserve” witness anonymity and confidentiality.
The panel invited Snyder to testify at a public listening to, however he refused to take action. Instead, he sat for a personal deposition, in response to the committee.
“Over the course of the deposition, he claimed more than 100 times that he could not recall the answers to the Committee’s questions, including basic inquiries about his role as Team owner and multiple allegations of misconduct,” the report says. “Mr. Snyder also gave misleading testimony about his efforts to interfere with the Wilkinson Investigation.”
The panel discovered that the NFL’s reasoning to guard confidentiality was deceptive to the general public because the league had beforehand cooperated in offering written experiences for equally delicate investigations. In 2014, the NFL launched a 144-page written report associated to an investigation into the Miami Dolphins’ alleged tradition of harassment and bullying. In that case, it protected anonymity by redacting witness names and omitting sure particulars.
The Commanders additionally face a lawsuit from D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine over an alleged secret take care of the NFL deal to deceive its followers.