NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will testify before the House Oversight Committee on June 22 regarding the Washington Commanders and team owner Daniel Snyder.
The House Oversight Committee invited Goodell and Snyder to testify as part of the committee’s investigation into the Commanders’ toxic culture and the NFL’s past investigations.
All of this began in 2020 when numerous women came forward detailing the toxic culture of sexual harassment in Snyder’s organization. Multiple team officials left the organization amid allegations ranging from sexual harassment to accusations of Snyder threatening a former employee.
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The NFL eventually launched an independent investigation. While it resulted in a $10 million fine and Snyder stepped away from day-to-day operations, the findings from the inquiry were never made public.
In October 2021, the House Oversight Committee launched an investigation to gather more insight into the Commanders’ culture. With many in Congress upset by the NFL refusing to disclose its finding, former team employees who first shared their stories with The Washington Post testified before Congress.
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According to ESPN, Goodell will now appear virtually before the committee on June 22 to address the league’s investigations, the decision to not disclose the results and new allegations made against Snyder.
What will the House Oversight Committee ask Roger Goodell?
While the committee’s primary focus is the countless allegations of sexual harassment and an unsafe working environment under Snyder, the NFL is also under scrutiny. The league. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform wants the full findings from the report, which Goodell said he only wanted an oral briefing on to “better preserve the anonymity assurances given to many of the witnesses.”
The NFL is also under scrutiny for what transpired in 2021. While the findings from months of investigating the Commanders was never made public, selective emails swept up in the discovery process became public.
Jon Gruden resigned as Las Vegas Raiders coach after multiple outlets received and published emails showing his repeated use of homophobic language and racially-insensitive remarks in emails to former Commanders’ president Bruce Allen.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times released a story with emails sent by ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter referring to Allen as “Mr. Editor” and breaking principles of journalism by having him review a full story before publishing.
The NFL has denied any notion that there are additional emails containing troubling language by current league employees. However, lawyers for the league are also working desperately to prevent Gruden’s lawsuit against the NFL from being heard publicly because the process of discovery could uncover more information and emails.
Roger Goodell will likely face questions regarding all of this along with the NFL’s ongoing investigation into the new allegations of sexual harassment made against Snyder directly. Given the commissioner’s history of navigating questions without providing definitive answers, it would be a surprise if any revelations came out of his testimony.
As for Snyder, the possibility still exists that he could testify before the committee later this summer. If a date can’t be arranged, per ESPN, a subpoena will be issued to have him appear.
The Commanders are also being investigated by the FTC, the NFL and attorney generals in Virginia and Washington D.C. for alleged financial improprieties, with a former team employee providing evidence during their testimony to the committee.
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