Commanders Reach Settlement with Maryland AG's Office over Season-Ticket Deposits

One of the multiple legal issues facing the Washington Commanders was reportedly settled Friday.

According to CBS News Baltimore, the Commanders and the Maryland Attorney General's office reached a settlement regarding accusations that the team did not properly return security deposits to season ticket holders.

"For many years, the Commanders kept money that was not theirs. It belongs to their customers," Attorney General Brian Frosh said. "Today's settlement will require the team to return the monies owed to consumers. The Commanders will pay a penalty, and they will be enjoined from engaging in similar practices in the future."

Frosh said the Commanders did not return security deposits to season ticket holders or luxury suite ticket holders within the required 30 days unless there was a specific request in writing. That practice violated the Consumer Protection Act, and the team must return all deposits and pay a $250,000 penalty as part of the settlement.

This comes after the Commanders released a statement earlier this month saying owner Dan Snyder and wife Tanya, who is the team's co-CEO, hired Bank of America to "consider potential transactions" in a suggestion they may eventually sell the team or at least part of it.

Liz Clarke, Roxanne Roberts, Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reported Thursday that Snyder initially intended to sell a minority share "but now realizes that he must sell the entire franchise. He is facing a considerable debt burden, and the team is seeking to build a new stadium to replace 25-year-old FedEx Field."

Yet the report also suggested the sale will likely take some time because of the franchise's legal issues and the desire of any interested parties to avoid such penalties.

In 2021, the NFL announced it fined Washington $10 million after an independent investigation by consultant Beth Wilkinson discovered a workplace culture that was "improper for many years."

The league's statement said the organization operated in a "highly unprofessional" manner with a "general lack of respect in the workplace" that included instances of bullying, intimidation and multiple allegations of sexual harassment.

ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. reported former SEC chair Mary Jo White is conducting a second investigation that is looking into allegations that include Snyder sexually assaulting a woman on his plane in 2009.

D.C. attorney general Karl A. Racine filed a similar lawsuit against the organization on Thursday alleging the team "prioritized its own revenues over fairness and deceived District consumers by wrongly withholding their security deposits"

Racine also announced the filing of a different lawsuit earlier this month against the Commanders, the NFL, Snyder and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

"The Commanders and Dan Snyder lied to DC residents about what they knew about a toxic culture of sexual harassment and then they entered into a secret agreement with the NFL and Commissioner Goodell that kept the truth from DC residents—all in an effort to protect their profits," Racine said.

"In DC, you can't lie to consumers to enrich yourself and get away with it. That's what this lawsuit is about: standing up for DC residents who were deceived and misled. No one—not even Mr. Snyder—is above the law."

The Washington Post suggested it could take six to 12 months to resolve those issues.

On the field, the Commanders are 5-5 and winners of four of their last five following a slow start. They face the Houston Texans on the road on Sunday.