The hits keep on coming for the Washington Commanders and owner Daniel Snyder. Don Van Natta Jr. of ESPN reported that the U.S. attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Virginia had opened a criminal investigation into the NFL franchise regarding alleged financial improprieties.
Van Natta cites two sources familiar with the matter.
The report says the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission and multiple attorney generals in April regarding “alleged deceptive business practices.”
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy had the following to say: “We will decline comment.”
Attorney John Brownlee of Holland & Knight, who represents the Commanders, offered the following statement to ESPN:
“It is not surprising that ESPN is publishing more falsehoods based solely on anonymous sources — given today’s announcement,” the statement read. “We are confident that, after these agencies have had a chance to review the documents and complete their work, they will come to the same conclusion as the team’s internal review — that these allegations are simply untrue.”
The announcement Brownlee is seemingly referencing is the Forbes report that Snyder had hired Bank of America to investigate a potential franchise sale.
The U.S. attorney’s office and the FTC declined to comment to ESPN.
Mary Jo White is currently investigating allegations against Snyder and Washington’s formerly toxic workplace culture. White’s investigation is the second NFL investigation into the team.
The alleged financial improprieties initially came to light earlier this year when a former team employee came forward with allegations that the franchise had two separate financial books, “one with underreported ticket revenue that went to the NFL and the full, complete picture.”
We will continue to follow this story.
