After the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Reform announced its intentions to subpoena Commanders team owner Dan Snyder for a deposition following his refusal to appear to testify Wednesday, he and the team’s leadership sent out a company-wide letter that was obtained by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“While we respect the Committee’s desires to learn more about how workplace culture issues can be addressed, some of the comments in the media have portrayed our team in a harsh and negative manner that does not reflect who we are as an organization today,” the email read.
The bulk of the email summarizes the changes that the franchise has made since Beth Wilkinson’s investigation into the alleged toxic workplace culture within the organization. The email was signed by Snyder and his wife, Tanya, who is the co-owner, along with team president Jason Wright.
“We believe the statements that have been made in the media critical of our organization do not accurately reflect our positive transformation and the current reality of the Washington Commanders organization that exists today,” the email read.
The committee’s months-long probe that began in October 2021 is looking into the franchise’s workplace culture, how the league handled misconduct reports, “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,” according to the committee’s press release from earlier this month.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Rep. Maloney said, “Mr. Snyder’s refusal to testify sends a clear signal that he is more concerned about protecting himself than coming clean to the American public. If the NFL is unwilling to hold Mr. Snyder accountable, then I am prepared to do so. The Committee will not be deterred in its investigation to uncover the truth of workplace misconduct at the Washington Commanders.”
The NFL has shared numerous documents with the committee throughout the investigation, such as a Common Interest Agreement between the NFL and Washington and an engagement letter between Wilkinson’s firm and the franchise. Additionally, the committee penned an explosive letter to the Federal Trade Commission, asserting that the Commanders and Snyder “may have engaged in a troubling, long-running, and potentially unlawful pattern of financial conduct that victimized thousands of team fans and the National Football League.”
On Wednesday, the same day Snyder was invited to meet with the House Oversight Committee, they met with commissioner Roger Goodell for his hearing. He doubled down on his decision to not release the written report by Wilkinson.
Before the hearing, the committee released a 29-page memo that details how Snyder allegedly worked to discredit individuals accusing him. It also found that the league allegedly failed to act independently as well during its internal investigation. Snyder and other Washington executives are accused of misconduct as well as attempting to influence Wilkinson’s investigation. New allegations of how Snyder handled harassment claims against other executives and the kind of workplace culture he allegedly fostered also emerged. The details can be found here.
