Commanders owner Daniel Snyder refused to accept subpoena from Congress amid investigation
Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder is apparently ducking the U.S. Congress.
Snyder refused to accept the service of a subpoena to appear before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, a spokesperson said in a statement on Monday. Snyder had previously declined to appear before the committee, which prompted it to issue a subpoena to try and compel him to do so.
Snyder’s attorney declined to accept the subpoena on Friday on behalf of Snyder, according to The Athletic.
“Mr. Snyder has so far refused to accept service of the committee's subpoena,” the statement said. “While the committee has been and remains willing to consider reasonable accommodations requested by the witnesses, we will not tolerate attempts to evade service of a duly authorized subpoena or seek special treatment not afforded to other witnesses who testified in this matter. The committee will not be deterred from obtaining Mr. Snyder's testimony, and we remain committed to ensuring transparency about the toxic workplace culture at the Washington Commanders and the NFL’s inadequate response."
It’s unclear what the committee will do next.
Snyder released a statement on Monday afternoon, though he didn't deny refusing a subpoena.
"Mr. Snyder has not refused to appear for a deposition," Snyder said, via The Washington Post's Nicki Jhabvala. "The Committee offered only one date — June 30 — and Mr. Snyder's attorney is out of the country and unavailable on that date. Mr. Snyder's lawyer has provided alternative dates to the Committee and looks forward to finding a path forward for Mr. Snyder's further cooperation and to address remaining due process concerns."
The committee is currently investigating claims of workplace misconduct and sexual harassment within the Commanders organization, and has been doing so for months. The NFL already fined the team $10 million after it conducted an investigation into the Commanders. A report from The Washington Post last week revealed new details of a sexual assault allegation against Snyder from back in 2009, and that the team allegedly paid the woman accusing him $1.6 million in a settlement.
The committee tried to get Snyder to testify on Wednesday, which is when commissioner Roger Goodell did so remotely. Snyder declined, and his attorney cited a “longstanding Commanders-related business conflict” as the reason why, as he’s currently in France.
"If Mr. Snyder was truly committed to cooperating with the Committee's investigation, he would have accepted the Committee's invitation to testify about the Commanders' toxic workplace culture,” a committee spokesperson said in a statement last week before the subpoena was issued. “As the Chairwoman's letter made clear, the Committee has been more than accommodating — even allowing Mr. Snyder to testify remotely from France.
“His refusal to testify sends an unmistakable signal that Mr. Snyder has something to hide and is afraid of coming clean to the American public and addressing major worker protection concerns facing the NFL. The Committee will not be deterred in its investigation to uncover the truth of workplace misconduct at the Washington Commanders.”
