Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder gave “misleading” testimony in a deposition to Congress and repeatedly evaded basic questions regarding his team’s workplace misconduct, according to a report from the House Oversight and Reform Committee.
The Democrat-led panel released its long-awaited report Thursday, finding Snyder “permitted and participated” in the Commanders’ “deeply entrenched toxic work culture” and tried to interfere with probes into him. The embattled billionaire, the report says, hired private investigators to obstruct the NFL’s investigation into his team and interfered the congressional committee’s probe by intimidating witnesses and blocking the release of documents.
The Oversight Committee also sharply criticized the NFL, which the committee said refused to hand over 40,000 documents related to Beth Wilkinson’s investigation into Commanders’ workplace.
Ms. Wilkinson oversaw the league’s nearly year-long probe into the Commanders, though a written report of her findings was never released.
Mr. Snyder testified in a deposition with the committee last July for nearly 11 hours. The committee’s report said that the owner claimed he couldn’t recall or didn’t remember the answers to more than 100 questions.
“Today’s report reflects the damning findings of the Committee’s year-long investigation and shows how one of the most powerful organizations in America, the NFL, mishandled pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct at the Washington Commanders,” said Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, a New York Democrat who is chairwoman of the committee. “Our report tells the story of a team rife with sexual harassment and misconduct, a billionaire owner intent on deflecting blame, and an influential organization that chose to cover this up rather than seek accountability and stand up for employees.”
House Republicans criticized the report in a sharply worded memo, saying the Democrat-led panel’s investigation amounted to a waste of government resources and that the Democrats’ “one goal” was to rid Mr. Snyder from the NFL.
