D.C. Attorney General sues Commanders, Snyder, NFL for deceiving residents

DC Attorney General Karl Racine announced a lawsuit against Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder, the team and the NFL on Thursday, for their collective involvement in deceiving DC residents regarding the team’s toxic workplace culture, and allegations of sexual assault.

“For years the team and its owner have caused very real and very serious harm and then lied about it to dodge accountability and to continue to rake in profits,” Racine said in a statement via Twitter. “So far they seem to have gotten away with it, but that stops today.”

The lawsuit alleges those misleading efforts attempted to dupe fans and increase profits for the franchise. It also cites the District of Columbia’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act, which gives the A.G. authority to hold individuals accountable for deceptive customers.

Racine’s investigation began last fall concluding that Snyder denied knowing anything about allegations of a hostile work environment and culture of sexual harassment within the team, lying to DC residents.

“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,” said Racine.

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The Attorney General continued sharing that the evidence shows Snyder was not only aware of the toxic culture within his organization, but “he also encouraged it and he participated in it.” “Mr. Snyder exerted a high level of personal control over everything the Commanders did and his misconduct gave others permission to treat women in the same demeaning manner.”

What did the NFL and Commanders do wrong?

The lawsuit also alleges that the league and the Commanders launched an independent investigation into the allegations, but secretly agreed to give Snyder power over what could be shared with the public. Simultaneously, Snyder and the team attempted to interfere with the investigation and obstruct it.

When the NFL eventually released a press release summarizing the investigation’s findings claiming they did not receive a written investigative report due to confidentiality concerns, Racine decided to sue.

“Does any part of this investigation sound independent? Does any of this sound like accountability?” Racine said. “Of course not. That’s why we’re suing.”

Just last week, Snyder announced that he is considering a sale of the team and him and his wife are considering potential transactions.