The House Oversight and Reform Committee accused Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder on Monday of evading its efforts to secure his testimony after he refused service of its subpoena to appear this week.
Snyder declined to voluntarily testify at a committee hearing on alleged workplace misconduct last week, calling it a “politically charged show trial.”
House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) said at the hearing that she would to issue a subpoena for Snyder to testify.
A source close to the owner said Monday he was “unavailable” to testify before the committee during the time it proposed this week and therefore his lawyer was “unavailable to accept service of the subpoena,” adding the committee had not tried to serve Snyder personally.
An Oversight panel spokesperson would not comment Monday on what dates were offered but said it will not tolerate “attempts to evade service of a duly authorized subpoena or seek special treatment not afforded to other witnesses who testified in this matter.”
“The Committee will not be deterred from obtaining Mr. Snyder’s testimony, and we remain committed to ensuring transparency about the toxic workplace culture at the Washington Commanders and the NFL’s inadequate response,” the spokesperson added in a statement to The Hill.
In a statement to The Hill, a spokesperson for Snyder said that the owner did not refuse to appear for a deposition.
“Mr. Snyder has not refused to appear for a deposition. The Committee offered only one date – June 30 – and Mr. Snyder’s attorney is out of the country and unavailable on that date,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Mr. Snyder’s lawyer has provided alternative dates to the Committee and looks forward to finding a path forward for Mr. Snyder’s further cooperation and to address remaining due process concerns.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell testified before the Oversight panel in the hearing last week, saying that the Commanders previously had an “unacceptable” work environment but that changes have been implemented in recent years.
“To be clear — the workplace at the Commanders today bears no resemblance to the workplace that has been described to this committee,” he said.
The league fined Snyder and the Commanders $10 million last year for the violations, with Snyder being removed from day-to-day control of the team as well.
The committee’s investigation into the Washington, D.C.-based NFL franchise began after an email chain between former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and then-Commanders President Bruce Allen was leaked to the public. It contained racist, homophobic and misogynistic language and was a part of the league’s initial probe of the team.
The NFL launched a second investigation into the team earlier this year after former cheerleader and team employee Tiffani Johnston testified at the roundtable hearing that Snyder sexually harassed her during a work-related dinner.
Maloney also sent out a 29-page memo to committee members detailing how Snyder and his legal counsel attempted to discredit accusers and victims by conducting a “shadow investigation” that created a 100-slide dossier with emails, text messages, telephone records and social media posts from those who have publicly accused the NFL franchise of harassment.
Updated 7:40 p.m.