The suit claims the team, Dan Snyder, the league and the commissioner colluded to deceive D.C. residents.
District of Columbia attorney general Karl Racine announced in a press conference Thursday his office has filed a civil complaint against the Commanders, team owner Dan Snyder, the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell.
The suit claims the team, Snyder, the league and Goodell colluded to deceive D.C. residents about an investigation into toxic workplace culture within the Commanders.
His office began investigating the franchise around the time the U.S. House Committee for Oversight and Reform wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission in April concerning alleged financial improprieties. The congressional committee has been investigating alleged workplace misconduct within the franchise since October 2021.
The letter, a copy of which was obtained by Sports Illustrated, alleged the franchise and co-owner Dan Snyder “may have engaged in a troubling, long-running, and potentially unlawful pattern of financial conduct that victimized thousands of team fans and the National Football League.” The letter relied on testimony from one of the franchise’s former sales executives, Jason Friedman.
Racine was one of the three attorneys general who received the letter, and his office said it took the allegations “very seriously,” according to The Washington Post. In a statement to the Post, a spokesperson for the D.C. attorney general’s office said, in part, “If we find evidence that they have violated District law, we won’t hesitate to take action.”
After Racine’s office announced Wednesday the scheduling of the press conference, a Commanders spokesperson said in a statement, “Less than three months ago, a 23-year-old player on our team was shot multiple times, in broad daylight. Despite the out-of-control violent crime in DC, today the Washington Commanders learned for the first time on Twitter that the D.C. Attorney General will be holding a press conference to ‘make a major announcement’ related to the organization tomorrow.
”The Commanders have fully cooperated with the AG’s investigation for nearly a year. As recently as Monday, a lawyer for the team met with the AG who did not suggest at that time that he intended to take any action and, in fact, revealed fundamental misunderstandings of the underlying facts. It is unfortunate that, in his final days in office, Mr. Racine appears more interested in making splashy headlines, based on offbeat legal theories, rather than doing the hard work of making the streets safe for our citizens, including bringing to justice the people who shot one of our players.”
The agent for Brian Robinson Jr., the Commanders player referenced, called out those responsible for mentioning his client at the top of the statement after its release.
Along with NFL and congressional investigations, ESPN reported last week that the Eastern District of Virginia’s U.S. attorney’s office launched a criminal probe into the alleged financial wrongdoings. The same day, team owners Dan and Tanya Snyder announced they had hired Bank of America to potentially sell the team. The move came two weeks after Colts owner Jim Irsay said Dan Snyder should be removed, adding that he believes there are enough owners votes to do it.
Dan Snyder also faces allegations of sexual misconduct and numerous alleged attempts to interfere in the league’s investigation. He and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell have testified before the House committee but at separate times.
The House committee is looking into Washington’s workplace culture, how the league handled misconduct reports, “the NFL’s role in setting and enforcing standards across the League, and legislative reforms needed to address these issues across the NFL and other workplaces,” according to a committee press release.
The NFL has shared documents with the House committee, such as a common interest agreement between the NFL and Commanders and an engagement letter between lawyer Beth Wilkinson’s firm and the franchise. Here is a summary of what was found in the documents.
This is a developing breaking news story. Check back for updates.
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