House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday announced her intent to issue a subpoena toward Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder to testify over the allegations of workplace misconduct and sexual harassment.
“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,” Maloney said at the congressional hearing on Wednesday. “The Committee will not be deterred in its investigation to uncover the truth of workplace misconduct at the Washington Commanders.”
Maloney said in her opening statement that Snyder’s refusal to testify at the panel hearing shows his respect, or lack thereof, toward “women in the workplace.”
“We invited Daniel Snyder to show to testify. Apparently, Mr. Snyder is in France, where he has docked his luxury yacht near a resort,” Maloney said. “That should tell you just how much respect he has for women in the workplace”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in his opening statement to the committee that Snyder, who has owned the NFL franchise since 1999, did run a “toxic, unprofessional workplace” for a long time, noting that the team has since made numerous internal changes to address this issue.
Goddell also noted that the league did not receive attorney Beth Wilkinson’s initial investigation of the Commanders’ organization, adding that the league told Wilkinson that an oral report of her findings would be the best way to receive the information.
“As a league, we recognize our powerful standing as a world leader in sports and entertainment, and embrace our responsibility to lead by example, creating workplaces that prioritize respect and promote diversity, equity and inclusion,” Goodell said in his opening statement.
“We hold ourselves to the highest standards, and I hope this description of our workplace training programs helps to demonstrate the many ways in which we work to uphold them,” he continued. “Our work to drive progress and improve our practices never ends, but we are proud of the steps we have taken and the impact we can continue to make.”
This comes after Maloney detailed in a 29-page memo on Tuesday how Snyder and his legal team attempted to discredit accusers and victims by conducting a “shadow investigation,” going so far as to create a 100-page slide dossier that had emails, text messages, telephone records and social media posts from those who have publicly accused the NFL franchise of harassment.
The committee first launched its investigation into the team in October amid the resignation of former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, whose leaked email chain with then-Commanders team president Bruce Allen, contained racist, homophobic and misogynistic language and was a part of the league’s initial probe of the team.
In a statement to The Hill, a spokesperson for Snyder said that the committee’s hearing is basically a “politically charged show trial,” adding that he hopes the committee will focus on more pressing issues in the U.S. instead of his team.
“It is clear the outcome of the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the Washington Commanders was predetermined from the beginning. The committee’s decision to release a ‘report’ and introduce legislation prior to the hearing is proof-positive this was always going to be little more than a politically-charged show trial, not about uncovering the truth,” Snyder’s spokesperson said in a statement.
“Hopefully, the committee will utilize its resources going forward for more pressing national matters, instead of an issue a football team addressed years ago.”