Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell have been formally requested to testify in front of the congressional committee investigating the recent workplace misconduct scandals surrounding the organization.
On Wednesday, the US House Oversight & Reform Committee revealed that they had sent letters to both Goodell and Snyder requesting that they appear before the committee at a hearing planned for June 22.
“The hearing is the next step in the Committee’s months-long investigation into the Commanders’ hostile workplace culture and to also examine the NFL handling of allegations of workplace misconduct, 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,” a press release from the committee states.
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Committee claims Washington Commanders and NFL have obstructed their investigation
The Oversight & Reform Committee began its review in October after a new round of misconduct allegations — including sexual — surfaced from within the Commanders’ organization. In 2020, the NFL began what would be a 10-month-long inquiry after members of the Washington Commanders were accused of various forms of workplace misconduct.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the league fined the organization $10 million but did not release any findings from their review. Snyder also stepped down indefinitely from his role as the team’s leader.
Once a new set of accusations were revealed about the franchise, Congress got involved and formed their own review of the situation and how the NFL handled things. Since beginning their examination of the team’s inner workings, the committee discovered “financial improprieties” in the organization that included withholding ticket revenue from visiting teams, as well as refundable ticket deposits from season-ticket holders.
The committee passed their findings on to the Federal Trade Commission. The attorney generals of Washington, DC, and Virginia have also opened their own reviews of those improprieties as well.
In recent weeks, there have been rumblings of Snyder facing a suspension from the league, or fellow owners looking to push him out of his role as owner of the team.
“The Committee has worked tirelessly to obtain critical information, including the findings of the internal investigation conducted by attorney Beth Wilkinson, only to be met with obstruction from the Commanders and the NFL at every turn. we must have transparency and accountability, which is why we are calling on Mr. Goodell and Mr. Snyder to answer the questions they have dodged for the last seven months. The hearing will explore how Congress can act to prevent employers from silencing victims of workplace misconduct and ensure that what happened at the Commanders organization does not happen again.”
Oversight & Reform Committee statement on Snyder and goodell requests