When it comes to Dan Snyder and the Washington Commanders, it always seems like they’re being called out for doing something shady or illegal. No wonder the NFL is softly pushing him to sell the team. Those calls might not be as soft following the bombshell news that dropped on Thursday.
As promised earlier in the week, the attorney general for the District of Columbia announced Thursday that he is filing a civil consumer protection lawsuit against the Commanders, Snyder, the NFL, and commissioner Roger Goodell. Per Attorney General Karl Racine, the civil complaint is based around the NFL team colluding to deceive D.C. residents.
D.C. AG Karl Racine announces the city is filng a civil
consumer protection lawsuit against Dan Snyder, the Commanders, the NFL and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell "for colluding to deceive residents of the District of Columbia" about investigations into the team's workplace.— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) November 10, 2022
Racine said at a press conference that the Commanders and NFL violated D.C. consumers’ rights based on what they knew about workplace misconduct and alleged that Snyder lied about his knowledge surrounding it.
Racine says the team violated D.C.'s Consumer Protection Act. "It is broad. What it covers is any any material misstatement that a merchant or business makes that could impact consumers in the District of Columbia." Says he's seeking "accountability for wrongdoing."
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) November 10, 2022
“Mr. Snyder was not only aware of the toxic culture in his organization, he encouraged it, and participated in it,” said Racine.
Racine: "Mr. Snyder was not only aware of the toxic culture in his organization, he encouraged it, and participated in it."
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) November 10, 2022
Racine was flanked by posters at his press conference that detailed the team’s recent rebranding, which includes references to Washington, D.C. They also noted the NFL’s investigation into the Commanders’ workplace culture.
“Dan Snyder assured fans that he would fully cooperate with the investigation and the results could be trusted,” read one poster. “That was a lie: He repeatedly attempted to interfere, and the fans could not trust results that were never made public. Because Snyder had a veto.”
Perhaps the most eye-catching moment was that Racine said not only will be issuing subpoenas but testimony will take place in a courtroom, not on Snyder’s yacht, an allusion to the way the Commanders’ owner handled his deposition with the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
“We will issue subpoenas,” said Racine. “We will seek testimony under oath. I promise you, just a hunch – the depositions will not take place on a yacht, but in a courtroom in the District of Columbia.”
There’s definitely going to be a lot more to this situation as it develops, including a continued discussion about the way the franchise initially reacted to the news. In the meantime, there were some very strong reactions from around the NFL world.
"The NFL turned a blind eye to Snyder’s extensive efforts to silence or intimidate witnesses, and the NFL and Commanders entered into a secret agreement that gave Snyder power to veto the release of any results."
— Darren Heitner (@DarrenHeitner) November 10, 2022
Good night, Roger Goodell? https://t.co/ch273IzHpe
— Ted Johnson (@Teddyjradio) November 10, 2022
This is, essentially, what matters here—another entity holding the organization’s feet to the fire *on the record* where the NFL did not. https://t.co/PRFzaMi1Gb
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) November 10, 2022
Couldn't have happened to a nicer rancid sports billionaire or franchise. https://t.co/UNWNHABTJU
— Pat_Garofalo (@Pat_Garofalo) November 10, 2022
into my veins https://t.co/q1WFxZljG1
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) November 10, 2022
Somehow Dan Snyder finds a way to hit a new low. Never underestimate him https://t.co/baX7h7pQvI
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) November 9, 2022
Good night, Dan Snyder.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 10, 2022
[ESPN]
