The NFL does its best to try to keep its drama in-house. But once the U.S. government is involved, they tend to want to get their own answers.
The House Committee on Oversight & Reform announced Wednesday that it is requesting NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder appear before the committee at a hearing on June 22 as part of its investigation into the Commanders’ hostile workplace culture and potential financial improprieties.
The House Oversight Committee has requested NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and #Commanders owner Daniel Snyder appear before the committee at a hearing June 22. pic.twitter.com/2oU5HXlC54
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 1, 2022
“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,” Rep. Carolyn Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee, said. “The Committee has worked tirelessly to obtain critical information, including the findings of the internal investigation conducted by attorney Beth Wilkinson, only to be met with obstruction from the Commanders and the NFL at every turn. 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.
“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.”
The NFL released a statement in response, saying that they will respond soon and pointing out that the league has “cooperated extensively” with the investigation.
NFL spokesman @NFLprguy responded today to the House Oversight Committee requesting that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Washington owner Daniel Snyder both appear at a June 22 hearing: pic.twitter.com/qLLlGjE7c0
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 1, 2022
Snyder was accused of engaging in “a troubling, long-running, and potentially unlawful pattern of financial conduct” according to a letter sent from the Committee to the Federal Trade Commission. According to a whistleblower, the team kept two sets of books in order to hold onto revenue that should have been spread to the rest of the NFL. This was on top of the previous allegations of sexual harassment and toxic work culture.
There’s been a growing rumble that the rest of the NFL would simply love to see Snyder removed from their ranks and a recent Washington Post report seems to confirm that it’s getting louder. Goodell denied that any official push to remove Snyder was underway when asked about it last week.
[Audacy]
