Commanders' Dan Snyder Reportedly Declines Mary Jo White Interview amid NFL Probe

Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder has reportedly declined interview attempts from attorney Mary Jo White multiple times as she conducts the NFL's second investigation into the team and its culture, per Mark Maske, Nicki Jhabvala and Liz Clarke of the Washington Post.

As the Washington Post noted, the investigation started after Tiffani Johnston, a former Commanders marketing manager and cheerleader, said in February 2022 that Snyder "harassed her at a team dinner, putting his hand on her thigh and pressing her toward his limo."

The investigation is also looking into potential financial improprieties involving Snyder and the team.

The Commanders owner, who denied Johnston's allegations, has "delayed his participation in the probe for several months by raising concerns about fairness and due process, seeking the questions in advance, trying to limit the scope of the questions and citing scheduling conflicts," per Maske, Jhabvala and Clarke.

It is believed White will make another attempt to interview him before concluding the investigation.

The first investigation, which was conducted by attorney Beth Wilkinson, found a culture of sexual harassment, bullying and more misconduct within the organization. While Washington initially hired Wilkinson, the NFL eventually took over the investigation that did not produce a written report.

The team was fined $10 million, and Snyder was forced to give over day-to-day operations of the franchise to his wife, Tanya.

Suggestions that Snyder has used stalling tactics or avoided interviews regarding the investigations are nothing new.

In December, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform released a 79-page report titled Conduct Detrimental: How the NFL and the Washington Commanders Covered Up Decades of Sexual Misconduct that said he "evaded questions by saying more than 100 times that he did not know or could not recall information and gave 'misleading' answers when he testified remotely."

The report, which said the NFL did not "address Mr. Snyder's interferences" in Wilkinson's investigation, also highlighted difficulties such as the Commanders owner declining an invitation to testify in person and his attorney refusing to accept the electronic service of a subpoena.

"Over the last year, Mr. Snyder engaged in a series of attempts to interfere with the Committee's investigation," the report said. "Mr. Snyder publicly assailed witnesses, refused to release former employees from their confidentiality obligations, and blocked the Committee's access to tens of thousands of documents collected during the Wilkinson Investigation."

As for the White investigation, the NFL said the findings would be released publicly.

Maske, Jhabvala and Clarke also reported fellow team owners around the league have paused considering removing Snyder from the Commanders to see how the potential sale of the team unfolds, what the results of White's investigation are and the results of his attempts to land indemnification against future legal liability.