D.C. Attorney General Sues Commanders, Roger Goodell, Among Others

The suit claims the team, Dan Snyder, the NFL and the commissioner colluded to deceive D.C. residents.

District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine announced in a press conference Thursday his office has filed a civil complaint against the Commanders, team owner Dan Snyder, the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell.

The suit claims the team, Snyder, the league and Goodell colluded to deceive D.C. residents about an investigation into toxic workplace culture within the Commanders. Racine said in Thursday’s press conference, “For years the team and its owner have caused very real and very serious harm, and then lied about it to dodge accountability and continue to rake in profits. So far, they seem to have gotten away with it."

He later added, “In fact, the evidence shows Mr. Snyder was not only aware of the toxic culture within in his organization, he encouraged it and participated in it.” 

The lawsuit specifically details that the four parties violated the District of Columbia’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act after “public misrepresentations, omissions, and ambiguities of material fact.” Per the attorney general office’s website, the act “prohibits a wide variety of deceptive and unconscionable business practices.” 

Four posters stand next to the podium inside the D.C. Attorney General’s office ahead today’s press conference. pic.twitter.com/Qd0c4LkM8Z

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) November 10, 2022

The franchise’s counsel, John Brownlee and Stuart Nash, said in a statement, “Over two years ago, Dan and Tanya Snyder acknowledged that an unacceptable workplace culture had existed within their organization for several years and they have apologized many times for allowing that to happen. We agree with AG Racine on one thing: the public needs to know the truth. Although the lawsuit repeats a lot of innuendo, half-truths and lies, we welcome this opportunity to defend the organization—for the first time—in a court of law and to establish, once and for all, what is fact and what is fiction.”  

The NFL issued a statement to Sports Illustrated regarding the suit.

“The independent investigation into workplace misconduct at the Washington Commanders was thoroughly and comprehensively conducted by Beth Wilkinson and her law firm,” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said. “Following the completion of the investigation, the NFL made public a summary of Ms. Wilkinson’s findings and imposed a record-setting fine against the club and its ownership.

“We reject the legally unsound and factually baseless allegations made today by the D.C. Attorney General against the NFL and Commissioner Goodell and will vigorously defend against those claims.”

Lisa Banks and Debra Katz, the lawyers who represent more than 40 former Commanders employees, said in a statement that the civil complaint “is further evidence of what we've long known: that both the Commanders and the NFL have engaged in deception and lies designed to conceal the team's decades of sexual harassment and abuse, which has impacted not only the victims of that abuse, but also consumers in the District of Columbia.”

The two continued, “The filing of this complaint also marks an important step in validating the experiences of the brave women and men who came forward and in achieving, for the first time, a level of transparency into the scope of the misconduct.”

Racine’s office began investigating the franchise around the time the U.S. House Committee for Oversight and Reform wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission in April concerning alleged financial improprieties. The congressional committee has been investigating alleged workplace misconduct within the franchise since October 2021. 

The letter, a copy of which was obtained by SI, alleged the franchise and co-owner Dan Snyder “may have engaged in a troubling, long-running, and potentially unlawful pattern of financial conduct that victimized thousands of team fans and the National Football League.” The letter relied on testimony from one of the franchise’s former sales executives, Jason Friedman.

Racine was one of the three attorneys general who received the letter, and his office said it took the allegations “very seriously,” according to The Washington Post. In a statement to the Post, a spokesperson for the D.C. attorney general’s office said, in part, “If we find evidence that they have violated District law, we won’t hesitate to take action.” 

After Racine’s office announced Wednesday the scheduling of the press conference, a Commanders spokesperson said in a statement, “Less than three months ago, a 23-year-old player on our team was shot multiple times, in broad daylight. Despite the out-of-control violent crime in DC, today the Washington Commanders learned for the first time on Twitter that the D.C. Attorney General will be holding a press conference to ‘make a major announcement’ related to the organization tomorrow. 

”The Commanders have fully cooperated with the AG’s investigation for nearly a year. As recently as Monday, a lawyer for the team met with the AG who did not suggest at that time that he intended to take any action and, in fact, revealed fundamental misunderstandings of the underlying facts. It is unfortunate that, in his final days in office, Mr. Racine appears more interested in making splashy headlines, based on offbeat legal theories, rather than doing the hard work of making the streets safe for our citizens, including bringing to justice the people who shot one of our players.”

The agent for Brian Robinson Jr., the Commanders player referenced, called out those responsible for mentioning his client at the top of the statement after its release. Racine did address the statement during Thursday’s press conference, saying in part, “It’s customary to bullies to try to bully victims. … I held my fire because I knew the public would have our back. And boy oh boy, on social media … did the public have our back.”

Karl Racine on the Commanders' statement last night: pic.twitter.com/IlcNjAtlct

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) November 10, 2022

Along with NFL and congressional investigations, ESPN reported last week that the Eastern District of Virginia’s U.S. attorney’s office launched a criminal probe into the alleged financial wrongdoings. The same day, team owners Dan and Tanya Snyder announced they had hired Bank of America to potentially sell the team. The move came two weeks after Colts owner Jim Irsay said Dan Snyder should be removed, adding that he believes there are enough owners votes to do it.

Dan Snyder also faces allegations of sexual misconduct and numerous alleged attempts to interfere in the league’s investigation. He and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell have testified before the House committee but at separate times.

The House committee is looking into Washington’s workplace culture, how the league handled misconduct reports, “the NFL’s role in setting and enforcing standards across the League, and legislative reforms needed to address these issues across the NFL and other workplaces,” according to a committee press release.

The NFL has shared documents with the House committee, such as a common interest agreement between the NFL and Commanders and an engagement letter between lawyer Wilkinson’s firm and the franchise. Here is a summary of what was found in the documents.

A written report from Wilkinson’s investigation was never publicly released.

Racine said in a tweet, “After public reporting revealed that sexual misconduct, harassment, and misogyny ran rampant for decades at the team, the defendants promised DC residents that the league was going to fix this toxic culture, including by fully cooperating with an independent investigation.”

He continued, tweeting, “Instead, 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.” 

Racine’s office is seeking “financial penalties under the CPPA for every incident in which the Commanders, Mr. Snyder, the NFL, and Commissioner Goodell lied to District residents dating back to July 2020.” The attorney general was asked about what he hopes to gain with this lawsuit, to which he said, “Accountability. Public accountability for wrongdoing in creating a misogynistic and toxic workplace.”

As for the allegations of financial wrongdoings, Racine said, “There will be more news on that next week.”