House report says Commanders owner obstructed inquiry into 'toxic' workplace

A new report from the House Oversight and Reform committee accused Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder of obstructing their investigation into a "toxic" workplace that witnesses said the embattled owner "permitted and participated in."

In their 79-page report released Thursday, the Democrats on the committee said the 58-year-old NFL owners gave “misleading” responses during his deposition and also evaded questions, saying “over 100 times” that he couldn't recall basic information about his role as owner. 

Snyder, who purchased the Washington, D.C.-based NFL franchise in 1999, testified before the House panel in a closed-door, virtual interview — after refusing to join a public hearing.

The committee also accused Snyder of intimidating witnessed involved in its probe, accusing the owner of sending private investigators to the residences of former employees in an effort to stop them from talking.

It added the NFL was aware of Snyder’s private investigation efforts even after they told him to stop, and blamed the league for complicity in attempts to cover-up misdeed within its D.C. franchise.

“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," committee Democrats wrote.

"To powerful industries across the country, this report should serve as a wake-up call that the time of covering up misconduct to protect powerful executives is over.”

The report also noted that former Commanders team president Bruce Allen told the panel in September that Snyder sent private investigators to his Arizona residence in March 2021, who told him they were “just here to follow you” and “document your actions.”

Allen, who was fired from his position with the team in December 2019, also said that Snyder had spoken about his plans to hire private investigators to follow other league officials including NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. 

Outgoing Oversight Chair Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) issued a memo to her committee members in June that Snyder had attempted to discredit accusers and victims by conducting a “shadow investigation” during the league’s initial investigation into the team, which was conducted by attorney Beth Wilkinson. 

Wilkinson’s initial investigation into the team resulted in the league penalizing the team last July for a record $10 million following, adding new requirements for team executives to be trained in topics such as bullying and unconscious bias. 

However, the findings of that investigation were never released by the league, and the committee said the NFL "mishandled pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct at the Washington Commanders."

The House panel also accused Snyder of offering "hush money to silence several former employees during the Wilkinson Investigation."

The Hill has reached out to the NFL, the Washington Commanders, and attorneys representing alleged victims of the workplace misconduct, for comment on the report.

At the end of the report, Maloney called for her colleagues to pass two bills that she introduced over the summer, stemming in part from the committee’s investigation into the team: the Accountability for Workplace Misconduct Act, which prohibits nondisclosure agreements that limit an employee's ability to disclose workplace wrongdoing, and the Professional Images Protection Act, which requires employers to obtain consent before taking or disseminating professional images of employees.

Brad Baker, a former video production employee, told the committee that team executives “tasked us with producing a video for Snyder of sexually suggestive footage of cheerleaders, obviously unbeknownst to any of the women involved.”

The committee also accused Snyder of refusing to release some employees from non-disclosure agreements that would have allowed them to more freely participate in the probe.