Report: Commanders' Daniel Snyder to Face Actions from D.C. Attorney General
October 17, 2022
Washington, D.C. attorney general Karl A. Racine and his office are "moving full steam ahead" in their investigation of Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder and intend to take further actions in legal proceedings, per Mark Maske, Nicki Jhabvala and Liz Clarke of the Washington Post. However, it's unclear what those actions will be.
"Dan Snyder, the Commanders, and the NFL will soon face accountability for their actions and flagrant misstatements," a person familiar with the investigation told the Washington Post. "Snyder will no longer be able to dodge subpoenas or avoid testifying or answering questions."
Racine's office is investigating Snyder and the Commanders' organization over the allegations of sexual harassment, office misconduct and a hostile workplace culture that also led to investigations by the NFL and the United States House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform.
“The team’s lawyers have met with counsel at the Attorney General’s office on multiple occasions, and no one from that office has ever indicated that the office is planning to take any action against the team or Dan Snyder,” a team spokesperson said in a statement provided to Maske, Jhabvala and Clarke. “The Commanders organization has cooperated fully with the investigation, including by producing over a hundred thousand documents, because it has nothing to hide. The anonymous leaks are unconscionable, and D.C. Attorney General Racine should confirm that the leaks didn’t come from any member of his office or anyone affiliated with his office.”
The Oversight and Reform Committee is also reportedly investigating the Commanders for potential financial infractions.
In 2021, the NFL fined the organization $10 million as a result of its inquiry into Washington's workplace culture, but took no further action and didn't release its findings publicly.
"Many of my clients participated in this investigation, which appeared to be wide-ranging and thorough," attorney Lisa Banks, who has represented over 40 former employees of the Commanders organization, said of Racine's current investigation. "We eagerly await next steps from the D.C. attorney general—hopefully he will succeed where the NFL has failed in ensuring accountability for two decades of sexual misconduct."
The news comes just a day before the NFL's owners are scheduled to meet, though a formal discussion on Snyder isn't planned, per the Post. However, "the owners could have an impromptu discussion about Snyder during their privileged session at the end of Tuesday's meeting, when other team executives are not present."
It appears that some sort of showdown between Snyder and the NFL and its other owners is on the horizon. Last week, ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Tisha Thompson reported that Snyder has hired private investigators to dig up information on other owners and key league figures and believes he's uncovered enough dirt to "blow up" those figures should they attempt to force him out of the league.
They appear to be the sort of actions a figure preparing for a fight would take. Given the broad swath of investigations Snyder is facing, his hold on the Commanders has never felt more tenuous.