Roger Goodell

NFL Urged To Release Mary Jo White’s Commanders Report

July 1st, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL is inching closer and closer to the conclusion of its relationship with Commanders owner Dan Snyder. A special league meeting has been set for July 20, in which the team owners are expected to vote to ratify the sale of the franchise to Josh Harris for $6.05 billion. That’s only one part of the league’s situation with Snyder. The other part entails their investigations into allegations against the soon-to-be former owner of sexual misconduct and financial malfeasance. According to Mark Maske of The Washington Post, the NFL has been urged by the House Committee to release a report on the investigation upon its completion.

To be clear, this is the second investigation into the allegations against Snyder. The first investigation, conducted by attorney Beth Wilkinson, was conducted back in 2021. The findings of the investigation were not released by the NFL, but it did result in a fine to the team of $10MM and the forced assumption of day-to-day operating duties by Snyder’s wife, Tanya. The findings were concealed due to promises of confidentiality made to witnesses.

The Oversight Committee released a 79-page report on the Wilkinson investigation in December claiming that Snyder “obstructed” the committee’s investigation and failed to provide full and complete testimony, as his attorney had pledged he would. The report also claimed that the NFL failed “to address Mr. Snyder’s interferences” and that the league played a role in concealing the team’s toxic work environment.

This second investigation was conducted by attorney Mary Jo White, a former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The investigation has not yet concluded, but already, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability has urged the league to release the findings of the report upon its completion. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had pledged before to release the report in “full transparency,” so the letter from representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the Committee, was a call to abide by Goodell’s pledge when the opportunity comes.

“More than a year has passed since your pledge to ‘share the results of that investigation,’ yet, to date, no part of the information has been released to the public,” Raskin wrote. “In light of the impending sale of the Commanders franchise, I urge you to honor your commitment to release the report in its entirety and ‘take additional disciplinary action if warranted.'”

We’ve seen in previous reports that Snyder is opposed to the pledge by Goodell. It’s been reported that Snyder had called to keep the findings confidential in February and was lobbying the league to limit the release in May, though the Commanders denied both reports. Despite Snyder’s continued efforts to cover up the findings of White’s report, it’s not believed that the issue should hold up the sale of the franchise at all.

It’s unclear, as of yet, exactly when the report will be concluded. Snyder has refused to be interviewed by White for the investigation to date, but some believe that White will request his participation at least one more time before concluding her investigation. It will be interesting to see just how much, if anything, is released by the league upon the report’s conclusion and if any action will be taken due to the results.

Date Set For Vote On Commanders Sale Ratification

June 23rd, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after a pair of dates were provided to NFL owners as possible days on which a special league meeting could take place to ratify the sale of the Commanders, one has been agreed upon. The final step in the sales process now appears to be in place.

A league meeting has been scheduled for July 20, as detailed by Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. That represents the earlier of the two possible dates floated last week (August 8 being the other), and could allow the sale to be approved in time for the opening of training camps around the league. The Commanders’ camp opens on July 26.

It is expected the league’s finance committee will provide a unanimous recommendation to approve the sale, the Post report adds. The committee met at length with prospective owner Josh Harris and investment group member Mitchell Rales earlier this month to discuss the outstanding issues with the proposed purchase agreement. The number of investors and an ability to remain under the league’s debt ceiling have been causes for concern during the vetting process, but the scheduling of the ratification vote suggests they will have been smoothed out by next month.

Harris and current owner Dan Snyder reached an exclusive agreement on a sale in May. The $6.05 billion price tag will comfortably surpass that of Rob Walton‘s Broncos purchase last summer and thus set a new North American sports record for franchise sales. It will also represent an end to Snyder’s much-maligned tenure at the helm of the Commanders, one which has been marked by a number of investigations into toxic work environments and financial improprieties.

A probe led by NFL investigator Mary Jo White into Snyder and the Commanders remains ongoing, but it could conclude in time for the ratification vote. The findings of that investigation are set to be made public, and the Post notes that they could result in commissioner Roger Goodell imposing a fine on the team. Issues of indemnity regarding Snyder and the other owners have been a sticking point over several months, but the eagerness to remove the former from the league has long been a driving force during the sales process.

At least 24 votes will be required to approve the sale to Harris’ ownership group, something which has not been in doubt since he and Snyder first entered into a purchase agreement. With the finance committee set to compete its vetting process and present a ‘yes’ recommendation to the full slate of owners in the coming weeks, the finish line in this process is firmly in sight.

Roger Goodell Expects Commanders Sale Ratification

May 26th, 2023 at 2:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the latest round of league meetings having come and gone, the sale of the Commanders remains an ongoing process. The agreement which would see Josh Harris become the team’s majority owner is the subject of review from the league and could see adjustments made in the coming weeks, but optimism is in place regarding the chances of the deal going through.

Commissioner Roger Goodell is striking a similar tone on the subject. His comments regarding the sale point to a ratification vote taking place at some point, though no timetable is in place for that to happen. At least 24 owners would need to approve the deal, something which is not expected to be in doubt if the finances of the Harris purchase can be worked out.

“I think we’ll get it to a place where it will be approved,” Goodell said, via Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. “The [finance] committee really just had their first meeting [Monday] on the matter. We really got the documents last week. So we’re hard at work as a staff looking at that, as we do every transaction. There’s a lot of due diligence as well as compliance issues. All of that’s happening and working full speed… And we’ll have a meeting at the appropriate time.”

The desire on the part of other owners to use the sale as a means of ousting Dan Snyder is well known. The latter has become embroiled in a number of scandals and investigations during his 24-year tenure at the helm of the franchise. Those issues have led to indemnification becoming a key talking point in this process, with owners attempting to not only prevent Snyder from receiving legal protection, but also ensure that they are covered against any potential future action by Snyder.

The latter is “eager ” to finalize the sale, per the Post’s report. It adds that the NFL has been in discussions with Snyder’s representatives, and that talks on the issue of indemnification are now “95%” complete. That development is particularly important with respect to the ongoing Mary Jo White investigation into the Commanders. The results of that probe, Goodell has maintained throughout its process, will be made public regardless of if it is finished before or after the sale goes through.

“When she’s concluded the investigation, she’ll let me know,” Goodell said of White. “We have pledged to make sure we tell our ownership. And we’ve pledged to make sure that the findings are made public. So we will do that.”

On the financial side, concerns have been raised about the Harris deal’s number of partners and its breaching of the NFL’s $1.1 billion debt limit for franchise sales. Detailing the matter further, Forbes’ Mike Ozanian reports that $1 billion of the Harris bid comes in the form of unsecured debt. The matter of whether that amount is considered equity (which is strictly prohibited under NFL rules) as opposed to capital could represent a major hurdle. In addition, more than the maximum 24 limited partners could be counted as being involved in the Harris group if the investors in their respective organizations are taken into account, per Ozanian.

The likeliest outcome of this process seems to remain a ratification vote taking place in the summer, but a number of issues are yet to be resolved. Presuming a sale does indeed go through, however, all parties involved will have achieved a significant shared objective.

Roger Goodell’s Extension To Be Finalized

May 23rd, 2023 at 9:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another Roger Goodell extension — a topic broached in March — is on the cusp of completion. The longtime NFL commissioner is set to receive a new deal that runs through the 2027 season, Jeremy Fowler and John Keim of ESPN.com report.

Jim Irsay confirmed the extension is coming, though Goodell said he does not have a new deal yet. This extension will position Goodell to push his commissioner tenure past the 20-year mark. Goodell took over for Paul Tagliabue ahead of the 2006 season. It likely will be a matter of weeks until Goodell is officially re-upped, Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets.

“It’s just dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s, but it’s done,” Irsay said. “We still have to rubber stamp it so to speak, but it’s virtually done. He’s done so much for the league with stability. … It’s a tough job, but he’s been a hard worker and worked very hard for the NFL and its success.”

Goodell’s current contract was set to expire after the 2023 season, with that deal being signed in 2017. After another round of monster TV agreements came to pass, the 18th-year commissioner will sign up for another go-round overseeing the country’s most popular sports league. While Goodell has taken plenty of heat — largely for his handling of disciplinary matters — the NFL has maintained its steady growth under his watch. It is logical the owners see no reason to rock the boat now.

Goodell passed Bert Bell (1946-59) for commissioner longevity during his most recent contract and will move past Tagliabue (1989-2006) this coming season. It seems unlikely Goodell, 64, will catch Pete Rozelle (1960-89) for time in the commissioner’s chair. But he will be poised to become the second 20-plus-year commissioner in NFL history.

Over the course of this new deal, Goodell appears prepared to groom a potential successor. Irsay said Goodell will have the opportunity to help the owners form a candidate list and have input as to whom the league should choose. Goodell also said splitting the commissioner role into two parts, one a CEO-type role and the other dealing more closely with the on-field component, has emerged as a talking point among owners and NFL officials.

“It’s a healthy discussion to have. The job changes over the years,” Goodell said. “It’s changed ever since I’ve been the commissioner. I know we will have the discussions at the appropriate time.”

The NFL is early in its third Goodell-era collective bargaining agreement. This CBA, agreed to in 2020, runs through 2030. The COVID-19 pandemic hit just before the players narrowly ratified the deal. The NFL had the advantage of seeing the pandemic hit during its offseason, as it paused the 2019-20 NBA season and led to Major League Baseball losing four months of its 2020 campaign. The fan-less or fan-limited (depending on the city) season led to the NFL seeing its second-ever salary cap reduction (in 2021), but the league’s salary ceiling is back on track. The cap spiked from $182.5MM to $208.2MM in 2022 and rose to $224.8MM this year. The spikes in each of the past two offseasons double as the biggest and third-largest jumps in the cap’s history.

During Goodell’s current deal, the league also expanded its regular season for the first time since 1978 and added one playoff team per conference. That has led to increased revenue. Although the NFL’s decisions regarding Thursday nights have generated persistent scrutiny, the league has motored along under its highly paid commissioner. While it is not confirmed, this imminent agreement looks like it will be Goodell’s final contract.

Latest On Dan Snyder, Potential Commanders Sale

May 4th, 2023 at 4:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

While hurdles remain to be cleared, the process of the Commanders being sold from Dan Snyder to the group led by Josh Harris continues to move forward. It includes unorthodox developments, but could reach a conclusion in the near future.

NFL officials are currently in conversation with Snyder’s representatives, as detailed by Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. The end result of those talks is expected to be a conditional acceptance of Harris’ $6.05 billion bid, which is nonexclusive and currently being vetted to resolve what are believed to be relatively minor issues.

This saga has played out much differently than the most recent team sale (Rob Walton purchasing the Broncos last summer) due to the outstanding legal troubles Snyder faces. He is still under investigation from the league, something which will produce a written report from Mary Jo White upon its conclusion, regardless of where the sales process stands at that point. Maske and Jhabvala add that White is expected to make one final attempt to speak with Snyder directly as part of her investigation.

With that – along with federal inquiries into alleged financial improprieties – hanging over Snyder, his presumed exit from the league is likely to occur in stages, per the Post. That could include approving the Harris bid while stopping short of formally ratifying it, as negotiations continue regarding Snyder’s protection from future legal action and the desire of other owners to do the same with respect to actions taken by Snyder himself.

Conflicting reports have emerged on the point of indemnification, something the league has been thought to be firmly opposed to. However, Snyder is no longer believed to specifically be seeking indemnity as part of the sales agreement (Twitter link via NBC Sports’ JP Finlay). How quickly an agreement can be reached on this front will no doubt go a long way in determining the timeline of Harris officially taking over as owner.

On that point, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently indicated, via Maske, that a sale could be finalized by the middle or end of May. The league’s finance committee is due to meet on May 10 and will review the remaining details to be worked out in the Harris bid before the next owners’ meeting 12 days later. If all goes well, that could be the point at which a ratification vote – which would require the approval of at least 24 owners – could take place.

As noted by A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports, that final step should not be in doubt. The NFL is treating the Harris bid “as if it’s a done deal,” he notes, adding the final approval by the league is considered “a lock” at this point. The Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner has backing from a number of other individuals, including NBA legend Magic Johnson and was a finalist to purchase the Broncos last year.

Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos said last month that he considers himself to still be in the running against Harris, and a late-emerging development could still alter the approval process given how fluid the situation remains. It appears, though, that the spring could mark the official end of Snyder’s tenure at the helm of the Commanders.

Roger Goodell Expected To Sign Multi-Year Extension

March 20th, 2023 at 3:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

4:06pm: Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets that Goodell’s deal is “all but done.” He adds that this extension is expected to run through the spring of 2027, meaning it would indeed constitute three years tacked on to the one remaining on his existing pact.

3:44pm: At the upcoming NFL owners’ meetings, a deal giving the league continuity at the top is likely to be finalized. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to sign a multi-year contract extension later this month.

Goodell is under contract through the 2023 season, after his most recent extension was signed in 2017. That, in turn, came amidst the brief expectation that he would retire in 2024. Instead, he will continue in his current post for years to come. Schefter notes that the owners and Goodell have discussed a three-year, incentive-laden extension, though no concrete terms have been agreed upon at this point.

In any event, it is likely this latest deal will be the final one for Goodell. The 64-year-old has been in place as commissioner since 2006 and worked under four different contracts already. That has given him substantial earnings over the course of his career, and puts him essentially in line with predecessors Pete Rozelle and Paul Tagliabue in terms of age at the time their respective tenures came to an end.

Goodell’s tenure has seen a number of controversies emerge throughout his tenure, including the threat of legal action between the league and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in the build-up to Goodell’s 2017 deal. This latest one is not expected to pass with anywhere near as much issue, a testament to the regard he his held in by the owners. Labor peace has been ensured with a long-term CBA agreement ratified in 2020 as part of negotiations over revenue sharing and a general increase in player compensation.

The COVID-19 pandemic provided a new set of challenges for the league, but all scheduled games were completed without players being required to take on reduced compensation despite lost revenues. The latter point is one which “has not been lost on owners,” Schefter adds. After a one-year dip, the league’s salary cap is set for years of healthy growth for the foreseeable future.

The largest reason for that, of course, is the new slate of TV and streaming rights deals Goodell helped negotiate recently. Those long-term agreements have secured billions of dollars in new money for the league and its owners, a continuation of the financial success which has been chief among the positives in Goodell’s tenure. They, as evidenced by another new deal being on the horizon, clearly outweigh the negatives surrounding himself and the league in recent years.

Schefter notes that this latest extension has been worked on for the past year, and will likely lead Goodell and other members of the league to begin seriously searching for his successor. If the deal is indeed finalized in the coming days, though, there will be little immediate urgency for that process.

Damar Hamlin Roundup: Bills-Bengals Resumption, AFC Alterations, More

January 8th, 2023 at 6:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

With Bills safety Damar Hamlin continuing to make progress in his recovery, and the NFL having moved forward with their re-worked playoff scenarios for the AFC, attention will now increasingly turn to the upcoming postseason. Here is a quick roundup, though, of some notes pertaining to the game in which he suffered cardiac arrest, and the process by which the new seeding parameters were arrived at:

Much has been made about the league’s intention of resuming the Buffalo-Cincinnati contest after Hamlin was taken off the field via ambulance. The ESPN broadcast of the game mentioned a five-minute warm-up period being relayed to both teams – something which NFL EVP Troy Vincent has, on multiple occasions, emphatically denied. Detailing the moments after Hamlin was resuscitated on the field, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that an official told the Bengals a 10-minute warm-up period would take place before resuming the game. Further conversations ensured, however, which included Bills head coach Sean McDermott stating that he was willing to forfeit the game if it ensured it was not played on Monday night. The Bengals, Florio adds, were accommodating of the Bills’ wishes, though they were under the impression the contest would be finished on Tuesday until realizing the Bills had retuned to Buffalo before the league’s ultimate cancellation decision.
That move led to the modified AFC structure for playoff seeding, affecting the Bills’ and Bengals’ abilities to clinch the top spot in the conference. When speaking about the owners resolution passed on Friday, commissioner Roger Goodell described it as “a focused approach that would only affect four teams” (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero). One of main consequences of the realignment was the ability the Chiefs had to clinch the No. 1 seed with a win on Saturday (which they did) and the decision to move any potential Chiefs-Bills AFC title game to a neutral site – a scenario which is in play given Buffalo’s win today.
Another, of course, was the amendment stating that home field for a Bengals-Ravens Wild Card matchup would have been decided by a coin flip had the Ravens won today (which they did not). Pelissero’s colleague Mike Garafolo tweets that proposals were in place to split the aforementioned amendments being voted on, but they did not pass. A coin flip being used to determine the top seed was not discussed, he adds (Twitter link). Throughout the process, the Chiefs abstained from voting given the direct effects the rule changes had on their path to the top spot in the AFC, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).
The NFL also considered the possibility of the Ravens and Bengals playing their Wild Card matchup (which was a distinct possibility at the time, and has since been confirmed through today’s results) at a neutral site (Twitter link via Pelissero). Challenges with ticket sales and other logistics prevented that idea from gaining traction, however. Cincinnati and Baltimore will play each other for the third time this year – and second in as many weeks – during the first round of the postseason, with the Bengals playing host due to their superior record.
Competition committee chair Rich McKay said, when asked about the league’s decision not to simply base playoff implications on win percentage, “We don’t capture everything in every rule. When you face situations, you have to try to make adjustments. [This situation was] not that different from some of the COVID-related issues” (Twitter link via Pelissero and Garafolo’s colleague Ian Rapoport). No games were cancelled due to the pandemic, but the NFL has likewise arrived at a response to the unique situation presented by last Monday’s contest not being completed. Now, all affected teams will move forward with their eyes on a playoff run.

Latest On AFC Playoff Picture; Owners To Meet On Friday

January 5th, 2023 at 8:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier this evening, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reported that the NFL’s Competition Committee was set to vote on the league’s approach to the AFC playoffs. It sounds like the decision will now come down to the owners. Florio reports (on Twitter) that the league’s owners will meet on Friday regarding seeding in the AFC. ESPN’s Dianna Russini echoes that latest development (on Twitter), adding that there will likely be a resolution before the weekend.

With the NFL likely eyeing a scenario where the Bills and Bengals complete the regular season having only played 16 games (vs. the 17 played by the rest of the league), the Competition Committee was expected to come up with a solution. Considering the unprecedented event, it was uncertain if the Competition Committee’s decision would be binding, and Florio expected the final decision would ultimately lie with commissioner Roger Goodell, who would have the ability to veto any scenario.

Instead, it’s sounding like the final decision will likely come down to the league’s owners. A source told Florio that the owners will have to “resolve some “controversial” aspects of finalizing the plan.” It’s uncertain if the vote will require majority or supermajority.

Among the possibilities that have been floated around are a neutral-site AFC Championship game or the No. 1 seed’s ability to choose either a first-round bye or home-field advantage over the No. 2 seed. One scenario that probably won’t happen is the addition of an eighth seed. Florio notes that revamping the postseason “would require collective bargaining with the NFL Players Association.” Indeed, NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith told Ari Meirov that the NFL hasn’t approached the Players Association about this scenario (Twitter link).

In his initial report, Florio mentioned that the Bills/Bengals game has a “small theoretical chance” of still being played, especially following the good news with Bills safety Damar Hamlin. This scenario would require the NFL to reconfigure the postseason schedule.

House Oversight Committee Concludes Investigation Into Dan Snyder, Commanders

December 8th, 2022 at 11:50am CST by Sam Robinson

The House Oversight Committee’s 14-month investigation into Dan Snyder and his franchise has led to multiple other ongoing probes, which have produced the loudest noise about a potential Commanders sale. The Oversight Committee’s investigation is now complete, with a final report surfacing Thursday.

The report accuses Snyder of permitting and participating in a longtime toxic workplace culture and obstructing the Committee’s investigation. In addition to dodging a Committee subpoena this summer, the Commanders owner is accused of making an effort to intimidate and dissuade witnesses from testifying. Snyder, 57, also offered hush money to several former Washington employees during Beth Wilkinson’s NFL investigation last year, according to the Committee.

Thursday’s report also links Snyder and the Commanders to playing the lead role in the fall 2021 email leak that led to Jon Gruden‘s Raiders resignation. Former Washington team president Bruce Allen said Lisa Friel, the league’s special counsel for investigations, indicated the email leak came from Snyder’s franchise and not the NFL, according to the report. Dan Snyder’s wife, Tanya, who had taken over the franchise’s day-to-day operations after Wilkinson’s investigation last summer, said at the October 2021 owners’ meetings neither she nor her husband was behind the leaked emails, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala, Mark Maske and Liz Clarke. Gruden has since sued the NFL, which had previously denied being behind the leak. Thursday’s report marked a key development on that front, among others.

Allen also informed the Committee that Snyder had spoken about hiring private investigators to gather intel on Roger Goodell. Reports of Snyder obtaining damaging information on Goodell and other owners started a firestorm at this latest set of owners’ meetings, which featured Jim Irsay championing an unprecedented ouster of an NFL owner and saying 24 votes to remove Snyder might be there. Shortly after Irsay’s comments, the longtime Washington owner denied hiring firms to gather dirt on other owners.

The Committee accused the NFL of assisting Snyder’s franchise in covering up Wilkinson’s report. The league is believed to have initially called for a written report to be released but later reversed course. Last year’s NFL investigation brought a $10MM Snyder fine and a de facto suspension, but Snyder is believed to no longer be under any restrictions regarding his role with the Commanders. No summary of Wilkinson’s findings led to the Oversight Committee probe and another NFL investigation. Mary Jo White’s inquiry is set to come with a report of the findings.

“We saw efforts that we have never seen before, at least I haven’t,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-New York, the Committee chairwoman (via ESPN.com’s Tisha Thompson). “The NFL knew about it and they took no responsibility. [The NFL was] acting like they were doing something. Then they turn around and fix it so [Wilkinson] can’t talk.”

Accusing Snyder of instilling a “culture of fear,” the Committee concluded sexual harassment, bullying, “and other toxic conduct pervaded the Commanders workplace.” Included are a number of former employees’ accounts, with the Committee indicating this run of inappropriate conduct occurred for “more than two decades.” More than 100 former team employees spoke about various aspects of this culture to the Committee. Snyder has owned the team since 1999.

The previously reported shadow investigations Snyder was accused of conducting of former employees during the Wilkinson inquiry surface again here. Snyder sent private investigators to homes of former employees, including Allen. The report also includes accounts from former cheerleaders and a video staffer, the latter saying Washington execs commissioned him to produce a video for the owner featuring “sexually suggestive footage of [the team’s] cheerleaders.”

A statement from Commanders counsel John Brownlee and Stuart Nash (via Jhabvala, on Twitter) accuses the Committee of taking a “one-sided approach” and produced a conclusion that “does not advance public knowledge of the Washington Commanders workplace in any way.” The NFL’s latest investigation into Snyder and the Commanders, centered around workplace toxicity and financial improprieties, is ongoing. As are the other investigations the Oversight Committee’s probe launched. A number of prospective bidders for the Commanders have surfaced over the past several weeks.

D.C. Attorney General Sues Dan Snyder, Commanders, NFL

November 10th, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Still amid multiple investigations, the Commanders are now being sued. The office of D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine announced Thursday it has filed a lawsuit against Dan Snyder, the Commanders, the NFL and Roger Goodell (Twitter link).

This is a consumer protection lawsuit, according to Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, accusing Snyder and his franchise of, in pursuit of revenue, “colluding to deceive and mislead customers” about the investigation into the team’s workplace culture.

Snyder and his franchise remain the subject of three investigations — from the House Oversight Committee, the NFL and the office of Virginia’s attorney general. Racine’s lawsuit will also seek to have the findings of the NFL’s previous investigation — a Beth Wilkinson-run probe that, at the league’s request, did not produce a written report — public, according to the Washington Post.

“Faced with public outrage over detailed and widespread allegations of sexual misconduct and a persistently hostile work environment at the Team, Defendants made a series of public statements to convince District consumers that this dysfunctional and misogynistic conduct was limited and that they were fully cooperating with an independent investigation,” the lawsuit reads. “These statements were false and calculated to mislead consumers so they would continue to support the Team financially without thinking that they were supporting such misconduct.”

Racine’s term in office ends Jan. 2, but he believes the case will move forward. His office plans to issue subpoenas, per Jhabvala (Twitter links). Subpoenas emerged in the Oversight Committee’s investigation, but Snyder evaded testimony for weeks. Eventually, the embattled owner did testify but did so remotely and without being under oath. Those circumstances allowed Snyder to bypass certain questions during that hearing. Goodell also testified before the Oversight Committee this summer, doing so before Snyder.

Repeated allegations of toxic workplace culture and financial impropriety led to this latest batch of trouble for Snyder. He and other team executives have been accused of withholding ticket revenue from opposing teams and keeping refundable deposits from fans. The Committee also accused Snyder’s franchise of dishonesty with the NFL regarding sharable revenue. A former employee, testifying to the Committee, indicated Washington had two separate books — one with the full figures and another with underreported ticket revenue. Regarding ticket revenue, Grant Paulson of 106.7 The Fan tweets the team has sent a letter to various season-ticket holders — some from the not-so-recent past — indicating the team owes a balance to certain fans.

This endless spree of trouble has led to the threat of owners voting to remove Snyder from his 23-year ownership post, which would be an NFL first. It is uncertain if there are 24 owners willing to vote Snyder out, but some likely would. Jim Irsay indicated 24 removal votes could be there, with the Colts owner speaking out after an ESPN report indicated Snyder had conducted shadow investigations of select other owners. Snyder later denied that charge.

The prospect of owners assembling votes against Snyder hovered over the Commanders owner for much of 2022. However, Snyder has since begun the process of exploring a Commanders sale. After defiantly indicating he would never sell the team, Snyder is believed to be seeking a $7 billion sum for the franchise. That would surpass the Broncos’ 4.65 billion haul fetched this summer. The Broncos’ price more than doubled the previous NFL record. Several prospective buyers have emerged.

Regardless of a sale, Snyder remains in hot water. No timelines exist regarding the completion of the three investigations. As of now, the owner is believed to be operating without restrictions in his ownership role. Wilkinson’s investigation previously led to a de facto suspension, but that is believed to be over.

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