Commanders' Hostile Workplace Claim: Snyder, Goodell Asked To Testify

WASHINGTON, DC — A congressional committee investigating the Washington Commanders' toxic workplace culture has asked team owner Daniel Snyder and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to testify about how the franchise and the NFL handled the issue.

The Committee on Oversight and Reform sent letters to Snyder and Goodell on Wednesday. Officials said the June 22 hearing is the next step in an investigation into the Commanders, the NFL's standards, and possible legislative reforms needed to address workplace issues.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-NY, is the chairwoman of the committee. "Since we launched our investigation in October, the committee’s goal has been to uncover the truth about the culture of harassment and abuse at the Washington Commanders, to hold accountable those responsible, and to better protect workers across the country," Maloney said in a news release.

Maloney said the Commanders and the NFL have been uncooperative in the committee's investigation so far. She noted the committee's failed efforts to view the internal investigation by attorney Beth Wilkinson into the Commanders, which was completed in July 2021.

"We must have transparency and accountability, which is why we are calling on Mr. Goodell and Mr. Snyder to answer the questions they have dodged for the last seven months," Maloney said. "The hearing will explore how Congress can act to prevent employers from silencing victims of workplace misconduct and ensure that what happened at the Commanders organization does not happen again.”

Read more: Washington Football Team Fined $10M After NFL Investigation

After Wilkinson's investigation into sexual harassment and misconduct in the Commanders' front office, the NFL fined the team $10 million.

"Owners are obligated to set an appropriate tone and establish appropriate standards and instill an ethic of respect at the club," the NFL said in a news release detailing the results of the investigation. "This did not occur at the Washington club for far too long, and Dan Snyder has acknowledged his personal responsibility for that failure."

However, the NFL and the Washington Commanders have not released the full findings of Wilkinson's report. In October, the Committee on Oversight and Reform requested Wilkinson's findings. The committee also called on Snyder and the NFL to release former employees from nondisclosure agreements that prevented former employees from speaking out about the franchise's culture.

"For seven months, the Committee has been stonewalled by NDAs and other tools to evade accountability,” said Raja Krishnamoorthi, a representative from Illinois who is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy. “Mr. Snyder and Mr. Goodell need to appear before the Committee to address these issues and answer our questions about the pervasive workplace misconduct at the Washington Commanders, and how the NFL addressed these issues.”

The committee's June 22 hearing will be held in-person and over Zoom. Snyder and Goodell have not publicly responded to the request for their testimony.

See also: Commanders Buy Land For Preferred Stadium Site In NoVA: ESPN Report