The House Committee on Oversight and Reform has accepted multiple requests from Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder in exchange for his testimony on allegations of a toxic workplace, including a deal to allow him to appear virtually before the panel.
In a letter to Snyder’s attorney on Tuesday, Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) said she accepted several accommodations offered to the team owner to persuade him to testify, such as providing several documents that will be used for questioning. The committee will also allow Snyder to appear via Zoom under the initial subpoena’s conditions “to ensure that Mr. Snyder’s testimony will be full and complete and will not be restricted in the way it would be if the deposition were conducted voluntarily,” the letter states.
COMMANDERS OWNER OFFERED TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY BEFORE CONGRESS, ATTORNEY SAYS
Snyder’s legal team is “reviewing the Committee’s letter to determine if their due process concerns, including the circumstances of Mr. Snyder’s appearance, have adequately been addressed,” a spokesperson for Snyder told the Washington Examiner. His attorneys have until noon on Wednesday to respond, according to Maloney’s letter.
Snyder had initially signaled he would be willing to testify virtually on Thursday, saying he could appear before the committee on either July 28 or 29. The exact date for the hearing has not yet been set.
Snyder, who was requested to appear alongside NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for a hearing in June, is being asked to testify regarding allegations of a toxic work environment perpetuated by Commanders executives. This comes after Snyder was fined $10 million by the NFL last year on charges that he maintained an unwelcome workplace.
The Commanders have maintained that the team has cooperated with “all prior requests from the House Oversight and Reform Committee” throughout the committee’s monthlong investigation, a spokesperson previously told the Washington Examiner in June.
The Commanders owner initially refused to appear for the June 22 hearing, telling lawmakers he would be out of the country for an awards ceremony in France.
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The hearing will particularly examine reports that Snyder opened a “shadow investigation” targeting former employees to discredit their allegations of sexual assault. House lawmakers had called on Snyder to testify after a roundtable event held by the committee in February detailed accusations of sexual assault and harassment by former employees.
Lawmakers will also investigate how the NFL handled allegations of sexual misconduct, the league’s role in establishing and enforcing standards for teams, and what legislative reforms are needed to address the problems.
