Ahead of Impending Washington Commanders Sale, Ranking Member Raskin Renews Calls for NFL to Release Investigative Findings

Washington, D.C. (June 30, 2023)—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, sent a letter to National Football League (NFL) Commissioner Roger Goodell again demanding that he share the results of Mary Jo White's investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against Mr. Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Commanders, and financial misconduct by the team. Ranking Member Raskin emphasized that the impending sale of the team does not excuse the League from its stated commitment to release the findings.

"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. 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,'" wrote Ranking Member Raskin. "You now have an opportunity to show the American people—and, most importantly, the victims of the Commanders' toxic workplace—that you will adhere to this higher standard by ensuring transparency and accountability, by releasing Ms. White's full report, and by taking additional action consistent with the findings of the report."

On October 21, 2021, Committee Democrats sent a letter to Goodell requesting information related to the NFL's handling of allegations of harassment and discrimination within the organization through an investigation initially conducted by attorney Beth Wilkinson.

As a part of the investigation, Committee Democrats held a roundtable on February 3, 2022, with several former Commanders employees to discuss issues of workplace misconduct and the NFL's failure to address the sexual harassment and verbal abuse within the organization, which revealed new allegations of sexual misconduct against Mr. Snyder. Following the Committee's roundtable, the NFL hired former U.S. Attorney and Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission Mary Jo White to investigate these new allegations of sexual misconduct against Mr. Snyder. Commissioner Goodell also committed to publicly release Ms. White's findings.

On June 22, 2022, Commissioner Goodell testified at an Oversight Committee hearing and committed to publicly release the report of Ms. White's investigation. The League also committed to taking appropriate action in response to the results of the investigation.

On December 8, 2022, Committee Democrats concluded their 14-month investigation with a report detailing the Commanders' decades-long toxic workplace culture. The report concluded that Mr. Snyder permitted and participated in workplace misconduct and intimidation, surveillance, and bribery tactics. The report also discovered attempts by the NFL to protect Mr. Snyder and the Commanders, including by burying the findings of Ms. Wilkinson's 10 month-long investigation into the Commanders' toxic workplace culture.

Commissioner Goodell has previously insisted that the NFL is properly held to a higher standard. Today, Ranking Member Raskin called on Commissioner Goodell to adhere to this higher standard by honoring his commitment to the Committee and the American public by releasing Ms. White's full report.

Click here to read the letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

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