NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder were accused of stonewalling an investigation by the Committee on Oversight and Reform in a letter from House Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).
“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,” Maloney wrote. “”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.”
Both Goodell and Snyder were asked to appear in court to testify about the “culture of harassment and abuse” that has been mentioned by several former employees of the Commanders organization, according to TMZ.
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“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.” Maloney wrote.
Maloney was joined in her criticism of the NFL and Commanders organization by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy.
“For seven months, the Committee has been stonewalled by NDAs and other tools to evade accountability,” Krishnamoorthi wrote. “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.”
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In Summer 2022, at least 15 different former employees of the Commanders organization spoke out against Snyder and several other high ranking members of the team about widespread sexual harrasment in the workplace. The NFL conducted an internal investigation, resulting in a $10 million fine for Washington.
The NFL denies the accusations that they are stonewalling the investigation.
“We received the Committee’s invitation this morning and will respond directly in a timely manner,” a league spokesperson said. “The NFL has cooperated extensively throughout the Committee’s lengthy investigation of the Washington Commanders, including by producing more than 460,000 pages of documents and responding to numerous questions in writing and in conversations with the Committee’s staff.”