Snyder, NFL Interfered In Harassment Investigation: DC Lawsuit

ASHBURN, VA — The Washington Commanders — already facing investigations by a Congressional committee and the NFL, plus talks of a team sale — are facing a civil consumer protection lawsuit, Washington, D.C., Attorney General Karl Racine said at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.

Racine claimed that Commanders owner Dan Snyder and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell colluded to bury the results of the NFL's investigation into the franchise's toxic workplace culture. Racine said Snyder and Goodell intentionally deceived D.C. residents about the investigation to protect the league's image and profits.

"No one, no matter how powerful, is above the law," Racine said.

The attorney general's investigation interviewed dozens of former employees and reviewed thousands of internal documents. The investigation revealed "clear wrongdoing" from the NFL and Snyder, the official said.

Racine claimed that the NFL and Snyder lied about what they knew regarding the franchise's toxic workplace, and what they were going to do about it following an investigation. Racine said that Snyder was responsible for his organization's culture and lied about it.

The Attorney General's Office believes that Snyder participated in misconduct.

According to the official civil complaint, Snyder had complete control over the team's in-house cheerleaders. "Snyder also revised the annual cheerleader calendar to be a swimsuit calendar," the civil complaint reads. "He required more photos of cheerleaders covering their bare chests with their arms and hands, photos of cheerleaders covered in only body paint, and photos of cheerleaders in lingerie."

Racine also claims that Snyder was responsible for things like how revealing cheerleader's swimsuits were for photos some of the women said they were forced to take part in, and Snyder ordered "voyeuristic" behind-the-scenes photos of the women.

Authorities reported that Goodell misled the public about the nature of the NFL's investigation. The NFL head reached a secret agreement with Snyder that allowed information from the investigation to be shared with the Commanders, Racine said. Snyder was also given input regarding what information from the investigation would be made public.

"We were led to believe that Snyder would not interfere," Racine said. "He did."

Washington, D.C., has strict consumer protection laws. Racine believes that by misleading the public about the nature of the investigation, Snyder, Goodell, and the NFL violated D.C. laws.

"Does any part of this investigation sound independent," Racine asked. "Does this sound like accountability?"

"What we're concerned about with the NFL is that they told the public they were coming in to conduct an independent investigation," Racine said. "We know that there was no accountability. We know that pursuant to an agreement with Mr. Snyder, Mr. Snyder was given access to the information."

Under D.C. law, the NFL and the Commanders could be fined $5,000 per law they violated.

Racine said Snyder tried to silence former employees with non-disclosure agreements.

"I am repulsed by the conduct at issue, the idea of intimidating victims, the idea of trying to scare them into backing down in their allegations is outrageous," the AG said.

Lisa Banks and Debra Katz are attorneys representing more than 40 former Commanders employees. "The filing of this complaint also marks an important step in validating the experiences of the brave women and men who came forward and in achieving, for the first time, a level of transparency into the scope of the misconduct," the lawyers said in a statement.

"For far too long, the NFL has actively concealed wrongdoing by the Washington Commanders and has shielded Mr. Snyder from accountability at every turn. The NFL must understand that sexual harassment and abuse cannot be tolerated or concealed. If Commissioner Goodell and the NFL are genuinely committed to protecting their employees, they would also publicly release the findings of the Wilkinson investigation and use those findings as a blueprint for creating safer workplaces throughout the NFL.”

Snyder has been the subject of several investigations from the NFL, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and the D.C. Attorney General's Office. Investigators have looked into claims of a toxic workplace within the organization, sexual harassment, and financial impropriety.

On Wednesday evening, a Commanders spokesperson bashed the attorney general's office.

"The Commanders have fully cooperated with the AG’s investigation for nearly a year. As recently as Monday, a lawyer for the team met with the AG, who did not suggest at that time that he intended to take any action and, in fact, revealed fundamental misunderstandings of the underlying facts," the Commanders spokesperson told Patch. "It is unfortunate that, in his final days in office, Mr. Racine appears more interested in making splashy headlines, based on offbeat legal theories, rather than doing the hard work of making the streets safe for our citizens, including bringing to justice the people who shot one of our players."

The spokesperson also mentioned the recent shooting of Commanders rookie running back Brian Robinson in the statement.

"Less than three months ago, a 23-year-old player on our team was shot multiple times, in broad daylight," the Commanders spokesperson said. "Despite the out-of-control violent crime in D.C., today the Washington Commanders learned for the first time on Twitter that the D.C. Attorney General will be holding a press conference."

Robinson's agent, Ryan Williams, did not appreciate that his client was mentioned in the organization's statement.

"Up until an hour ago, the Commanders handled the Brian Robinson situation with so much care, sincerity and class. And I was so grateful for all of it," Williams wrote on Twitter. "Although I know that there are some great humans in that building, whoever is hiding behind this statement is not one of them."

Last week, Snyder announced he hired Bank of America Securities to handle potential transactions regarding the NFL franchise. A Commanders spokesperson told reporters they are considering all options, including selling the whole team or a minority stake.

The lawsuit will not be dismissed if Snyder sells the team. "If this is settled, we will tell you everything that we found," Racine said.

The announcement of a possible team sale has drawn interest from billionaires and celebrities who would love to own the team. Notable potential bidders for the franchise include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, music executive and rapper Jay-Z, actor Matthew McConaughey, media mogul Byron Allen, and NBA star Kevin Durant from Prince George's County, Maryland.

On Sunday morning, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported the Commanders could sell for up to $7 billion. Glazer noted the sale could be completed in the next six months. The sale could be finalized at the NFL's annual league meetings beginning on March 26, 2023.

Read more: NBA Star Kevin Durant Interested In Joining Commanders Bid: ESPN

In August, Forbes estimated the Commanders were worth $5.6 billion, ranking sixth among the NFL's 32 teams. Snyder purchased the Commanders in 1999 for $800 million after the death of former owner Jack Kent Cooke.

Snyder's tenure has been embroiled with controversy, especially since 2020. Most recently, a fellow NFL owner told reporters the league needed to consider removing Snyder after accusations of sexual misconduct, financial impropriety, and a hostile workplace.

Snyder is still being investigated by the NFL and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. The results of both investigations are still pending.

Related:

• Commanders Under Investigation For 'Financial Improprieties': ESPN
• Dan Snyder Has Dirt To 'Blow Up' NFL Owners, Commissioner
• Removing Dan Snyder Should Be Considered, Fellow NFL Owner Says
• Commanders Owner Dan Snyder Accused Of Sexual Assault
• Washington Football Team Fined $10M After NFL Investigation
• Matthew McConaughey Eyes Commanders Bid With Bezos, Jay-Z: Report