Lawyer Expresses Worry Dan Snyder Got Names of Former Commanders Employees from NFL

A lawyer representing former Washington Commanders employees sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell alleging the league violated confidentiality agreements with women who testified in the investigation into the Commanders' workplace culture.

Attorney Lisa Banks said four of her clients were approached by private investigators believed to have been hired by Commanders owner Dan Snyder after the NFL shared information on the investigation with the organization, per Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham of ESPN.

A previous ESPN report, which is cited by Banks in her letter, said attorneys hired by the Commanders enlisted private investigators to "harass" former employees who cooperated with the investigation. Snyder is alleged to have compiled an "enemies list" from information obtained by the NFL investigation.

"If true, this was in clear violation of a very specific promise the NFL made to our clients, through Ms. Wilkinson and her team, that witness names would be kept confidential and not shared with Mr. Snyder or the Washington Commanders," Banks wrote.

"If true, the 'tip sheet' allegation is not only morally reprehensible, but it also provides the basis for us to take legal action against the NFL, which we will do given the serious harm caused to our clients by their reliance on the NFL's promises."

A Commanders spokesperson later released a statement in response to Banks’ letter:

“Neither the Team nor Mr. Snyder was ever advised by the NFL, Ms. Wilkinson, or anyone else, about the progress of the investigation, or who had been interviewed in connection with it -- either during the investigation or afterwards. Even now, the team and Mr. Snyder have not received any information from the NFL or Ms. Wilkinson on these matters. ESPN was advised of this fact before they ran their story last week, but proceeded to go forward with the story, based on their discussions with 'unnamed sources.' The story was false last week, and it is false today.”

The NFL fined the Commanders $10 million and Snyder relinquished day-to-day control over the franchise after an investigation found he presided over a toxic work environment that included sexual harassment of female employees, bullying and other forms of intimidation.

No formal report was ever made public. Instead, Goodell had investigator Beth Wilkinson give an oral presentation of her findings to him, and then he levied the punishment. Wilkinson has not expounded on her investigation beyond her meeting with Goodell.

In a Congressional hearing on the matter, Goodell said he preferred the oral report because it allowed people who cooperated with the investigation to maintain anonymity.

"We determined that a comprehensive oral briefing would best allow us to receive the information necessary both to evaluate the workplace as it was, and to ensure that the team put in place the policies and processes to reform that workplace—all while preserving the confidentiality of those who participated in the investigation," Goodell said in June.

The NFL and the Commanders had a "common interest agreement" to share information throughout Wilkinson's investigation. Banks said the agreement was highly unusual, and her clients began facing harassment almost immediately after the NFL took over the investigation.

The attorney also alleged that one team employee who cooperated was fired after the NFL privately released a witness list.