Tag: NFL investigation

Report: June 30th date important for NFL’s Deshaun Watson investigation

June 30th might be the soonest the NFL will conclude its investigation into Watson. Then the arbitrator process takes over:

The Cleveland Browns, Deshaun Watson and their fanbase want to move forward into training camp and the 2022 season. The NFL wants to move forward from there over a year-long investigation into improper sexual conduct of Watson.

While it seems like the end is closer than ever, especially since earlier this offseason it seemed it would be delayed until the next offseason, there is still a process that needs to take place.

Once the NFL actually concludes its investigation, it will turn over its findings to the independent arbitrator. Watson’s camp will do the same before the arbitrator, Sue Robinson, rules.

If Robinson decides that Watson did not violate the NFL’s policy, the case is closed. If Robinson decides that Watson did violate the NFL’s policy, she will make a decision on discipline that either side can appeal but Roger Goodell hears that appeal.

According to Albert Breer, June 30th looms as an important date for the NFL’s investigation:

My understanding is the league is likely to wait until June 30 has passed, allowing for the most information possible to be produced in the court proceeding before making a decision. So July seems like a good bet, as to the timing of a call coming from the NFL on Watson.

Watson’s side, seemingly, would be ready to turn their information in shortly after but the arbitrator may need significant time to review all the findings. If the NFL concludes its investigation on July 1st, it will be interesting how long until Robinson makes a decision.

Anyone expecting a “Friday news dump” soon related to the Watson investigation will probably be disappointed. Sometime in July seems the most likely.

Congress alleges Washington Commanders might have engaged in ‘unlawful’ financial conduct

The House Committee on Oversight and Reform sends a letter to FTC alleging the Washington Commanders’ financial improprieties regarding ticket revenue.

The alleged financial improprieties of the Washington Commanders took another turn Tuesday. In a letter from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to the Federal Trade Commission, the Committee alleges that the Commanders and owner Daniel Snyder may have concealed or withheld ticket revenue and other related funds.

The House Committee uncovered the alleged improprieties during its ongoing investigation into the organization’s workplace culture.

According to Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, the Commanders “‘may have engaged in a troubling, long-running, and potentially unlawful pattern of financial conduct’ that allegedly involved withholding as much as $5 million in refundable deposits from season ticket holders and also hiding money that was supposed to be shared among NFL owners.”

More continues to come regarding this each week, and Washington has denied any wrongdoing.

The allegations in the letter from the House Committee to the FTC stem from the Committee’s interview with former team employee Jason Friedman. Friedman, a 24-year employee from 1996 to 2020, rose through the ranks during his time in Washington, which saw him eventually hold the position of Vice President of Sales and Customer Service.

Rep. Carolyn Mahoney (D-NY) released the following statement:

This new information suggests that in addition to fostering a hostile workplace culture, Mr. Snyder also may have cheated the team’s fans and the NFL. While the focus of our investigation remains the Commanders’ toxic work environment, I hope the FTC will review this troubling financial conduct and determine whether further action is necessary.  We must have accountability.

We will continue to follow this story.

Commanders under investigation for alleged ‘financial improprieties’

Congress is now looking into alleged financial improprieties by the Commanders.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said he was “tired” of the outside noise and negative stories surrounding his team earlier this week from the NFL’s owner’s meetings.

Since that time, Washington has been in the news on back-to-back days — and not for football reasons. On Wednesday, former Washington quarterback Alex Smith went on the “Rich Eisen Show” and was asked about any advice he could give Carson Wentz and the conversation turned to Washington’s off-field drama.

On Thursday, more bad news for the Commanders as the Washington Post revealed that congressional committee overseeing the sexual harassment in Washington’s workplace, is also now looking into alleged financial improprieties, per Liz Clarke, Paul Kane and Mark Maske.

The allegations emerged as the committee reviewed over 80,000 documents into the toxic workplace investigation and interviewed numerous witnesses.

Details of the alleged financial improprieties were not revealed, but the investigation will continue to move forward.

“The investigation is going forward,” said Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, chair of the committee.

Congress’ investigation into Washington’s workplace culture and alleged financial improprieties comes at the same time as the NFL’s second investigation of the Commanders in less than two years.

Beth Wilkinson initially investigated Washington’s toxic workplace culture for 10 months before presenting her findings to the NFL. However, there were no written reports provided at the NFL and Washington’s request.

Earlier this year, new allegations emerged against owner Daniel Snyder, which is now a part of the NFL’s investigation, led by Mary Jo White.

Ron Rivera is getting ‘tired of it’

Ron Rivera is “tired” of all the negative stories surrounding the franchise. He’s absolutely right. How does he think longtime fans feel?

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Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera is frustrated, and understandably so.

At the NFL owner’s meetings, Rivera expressed his frustrations on the franchise often being the target of bad news. “Quite honestly I’m tired of it, I really am,” Rivera said via John Keim of ESPN.

“But the only way to fix it is winning, and that’s the truth.”

No doubt, Rivera must be tired of hearing about the inappropriate culture at Ashburn, prior to his arrival. But also following his arrival, his first Washington football team was called the uh, lame, “Washington Football Team.” His owner in February was accused on national television of inappropriately touching a woman not his wife. After the allegations, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced another investigation into the sexual climate of the franchise.

I feel for Ron Rivera, I really do. No one would want the past to continually be brought up in your face, when you are attempting to change the culture yourself since your arrival in 2020.

Coach Ron has been here two years, but I must ask, how does he think we feel? I have been following the franchise passionately since the 1969 season.

I grew up watching George Allen have winning years in each of his seven seasons (1971-77). Joe Gibbs made us proud to be Washington fans, during his tenure (1981-1992) coach Joe had one losing season in 12 years! In those years, Coach Joe experienced eight playoff births, five NFC title games, four Super Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl championships.

In the 29 seasons that have followed, Washington has only been to the playoffs six times (1999, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2020). And Gibbs came back for a four-year stint and led Washington to two of those playoff appearances.

I’m tired of the franchise for the past 29 seasons having 18 losing seasons. I’m tired of the franchise for the past 29 seasons winning only two playoff games.

I’m tired of the owner having meddled in signing overpriced, unmotivated free agents, disrespecting the football scouts, coaches and front office to draft a quarterback because his son went to the same high school.

I’m tired of the owner creating a culture that runs off entirely too many good hard-working employees on the business side, being an embarrassment for the sexually inappropriate culture he did nothing to eliminate. And now I am tired of hearing he himself may have inappropriately touched Tiffani Johnston.

I believe Ron Rivera is sincerely tired of his two years with the team. How much more must many of us be tired after the last 29 years?

Lawmakers introduce bill that could impact Washington’s new stadium

This week, Congress introduced a new bill to eliminate tax breaks for sports teams building a new stadium.

The Washington Commanders are looking to be in their new home by 2027. The Commanders, who currently play at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, are deciding between three locations of Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., for their next stadium.

The state of Virginia has a leg up to be Washington’s new home. Earlier this month, the Virginia House voted to advance a bill that would create a new stadium authority in Virginia.

But, nothing is official. Washington and Maryland both want to build a new stadium in their respective jurisdictions. And, with all of the controversy still circling owner Daniel Snyder, members of Congress introduced a new bill this week that would eliminate tax breaks for pro sports teams.

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said the following in a statement, per John Keim of ESPN:

The NFL has proven once again that it can’t play by the rules. As such, taxpayers-subsidized municipal bonds should no longer be a reward for the Washington Commanders and other teams that continue to operate workplaces that are dens of sexual harassment and sexual abuse. It doesn’t make economic sense, and it’s particularly galling given the league’s longstanding failure to address issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault as well as on-going racial and gender discrimination and domestic violence.

Per Keim, the bill would eliminate the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds, which are used to finance professional stadiums.

The Commanders will need to pick a location soon so that construction can begin on a new stadium. All three options are intriguing, but returning to Washington is the choice of most fans.

Commanders release statement on NFL investigation

After the NFL announces that Mary Jo White will lead the investigation into the latest Snyder allegations, Washington releases a statement.

The NFL made a big move in its investigation into the latest allegations against Washington owner Daniel Snyder by hiring Mary Jo White to lead the investigation.

Shortly after the news broke, the Washington Commanders released a statement announcing that it would cooperate fully with White, courtesy of Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.

The Washington Commanders are pleased the NFL has appointed Mary Jo White to look into the recent allegations made by Tiffani Johnston. The Commanders have always been intent on having a full and fair investigation of this matter conducted, and to releasing the results of that investigation. Given the team’s confidence in Ms. White’s ability to conduct such a full and fair investigation, the Commanders will not separately pursue an investigation and will cooperate fully with Ms. White.

Washington had initially announced it had hired the Pallas Global Group to lead the investigation on Feb. 9 before the NFL stepped in and said the league would be leading the investigation.

 

NFL hires Mary Jo White to investigate new allegations against Washington owner Daniel Snyder

The big takeaway — there will be a written report.

On late Friday afternoon, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reported the NFL had hired Mary Jo White to investigate the latest allegations against Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder.

White is a former United States attorney for the Southern District of New York. Perhaps the most important takeaway from the NFL’s hiring of White to handle the Washington investigation is White led the league’s investigation into former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson in 2018.

There will be a written report this time around, and it will be released publicly once the investigation is complete. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will decide if any further punishment for Snyder or Washington is warranted. The NFL fined Washington $10 million after Beth Wilkinson completed her investigation last year. Snyder wasn’t suspended, but he did step away from day-to-day operations for some time, and his wife, co-owner Tanya Snyder, assumed a more prominent role.

The latest allegations against Snyder originated at the Congressional roundtable on Feb. 3. Former team employee Tiffani Johnston accused Snyder of inappropriately touching her and attempting to push her into a waiting limousine after a business dinner.

Snyder denied the allegations.

Washington announced it was hiring an outside firm to investigate the claims but the NFL quickly stepped in and said it would be leading the investigation.

Will Dan Snyder soon be forced to sell the Washington Commanders?

It’s been a tough week for Washington owner Daniel Snyder — and it could become a lot worse.

The biggest day of the NFL year — Super Bowl Sunday — wouldn’t be complete without news on Washington owner Daniel Snyder and the ongoing controversy surrounding the investigation into the team’s toxic workplace culture.

To be fair, this is old news. Early last March, the “Sports Junkies” from 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C., had received information that one of the recommendations from Beth Wilkinson was for Snyder to sell the team.

Here’s what Jason Bishop of the “Junkies” said, per Audacy.com:

On Friday morning, we reported on excerpts of a report prepared by the NFL’s independent investigator into the Washington Football Team, Beth Wilkinson. We believed, based on information provided to us by our source, that the report was final and had been delivered to the NFL League Office. The League has denied receiving a final report, however, both in a general statement and in response to specific questions from us. Based on those unequivocal denials, we now believe that our source was mistaken and that the excerpts of the report that were shared with us have not yet been sent to the NFL. We do believe in the authenticity of the documents we reviewed, and that they are from the Wilkinson investigation, but we are unable to confirm that the report was a final draft or that it had been delivered to the League Office. As soon as we are able to report anything further on this, we will let you know – both as to what occurred in our Friday report and regarding the Wilkinson investigation generally.

The statement above was from Bishop after the “Junkies” original statement just days before, where they had received information that the NFL should “force the owner to divest his ownership of the team.”

Another option, per the “Junkies” at the time, was “suspend the owner for a significant period to allow the club time to repair its infrastructure and culture.”

As we know, the organization would receive a fine — not Snyder personally — and he would step away from day-to-day operations for a time, leading his wife and co-owner, Tanya Snyder, to assume a more significant role.

But many questioned, was that really punishment?

Back to “The Junkies” report from last March. At the time, many didn’t take the information seriously, perhaps because the “Junkies” were not actual reporters. But, the popular longtime radio show hosts have broken several stories over the years.

Now, that report has received newfound attention. Here’s what Ben Standig of The Athletic tweeted Sunday.

The perpetually unhappy Mike Florio has also discussed that previous report this week, noting that if the NFL brings Wilkinson back in for their investigation into the latest claims by former team employee Tiffani Johnston, it could spell bad news for Snyder.

Washington fans have clamored for Snyder to sell the team for years, but most felt hopeless. Fans walked away, quit watching on television and stopped going to games.

While there is still a long way to go before something like this happens, the smoke seems real. Are the other 31 NFL owners prepared for what Snyder may reveal if they collectively force him out?

 

NFL tells Congress Commanders blocked access to documents related to investigation

Another day of big news surrounding the Washington Commanders. Has the NFL turned its back on Washington?

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It was only a matter of time before the NFL had enough of Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder. With the entire country focused on the Super Bowl this week, the NFL is in the spotlight, which means some of the league’s biggest issues are also under the microscope.

There is no bigger issue in the NFL right now than what’s happening with the Commanders. Congress has pressured the NFL and Washington to release documents related to Beth Wilkinson’s investigation into the toxic workplace culture that existed in Washington for most of Snyder’s tenure as owner.

New disturbing allegations against Snyder emerged last week. On Wednesday, the NFL released a statement saying it will oversee a thorough and independent investigation into the latest claims. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke on the topic Wednesday evening.

On Thursday, Congress received a letter from the NFL, written by the league’s attorneys and sent to Rep. Carol Maloney of New York and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois. Maloney is the chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

That letter, well, it was a bombshell. The NFL said Washington was blocking access to more than 100,000 documents related to the investigation. Remember when Goodell and other NFL owners were said to be colluding with Snyder to prevent the release of the documents?

As expected, the tables have turned. Goodell and the NFL are tired of defending Snyder. Yes, this is risky because if the documents are released, and Snyder is forced out, they know he will come after Goodell and the 31 other owners.

The NFL has stood firm in defending Snyder in the form of self-preservation. There were over 650,000 emails Wilkinson and her team provided to the NFL that “raised issues beyond the scope” of the investigation into Washington.

You don’t think Goodell, other owners, team executives, and coaches are a little nervous right now? We’ve already seen Jon Gruden go down. Each team’s owners and executives talk to one another frequently, and it’s not always about football.

I have questions. If we were told there were over 650,000 emails involved in the investigation in October, where are the 109,000 documents coming from now? Are they a part of the 650,000? If so, why is Washington only blocking 109,000? Also, why didn’t the NFL say the Commanders were blocking access to all 650,000 emails/documents?

Perhaps they aren’t related. That would mean there is even more out there regarding this investigation that could be big trouble for the entire league.

In the letter, the NFL said it had tried to obtain the 109,000 documents from the Wilkinson Stekloff firm, but the firm refused due to concerns that Snyder or the team would sue. The letter stated the NFL requested Washington to provide consent to the firm to release the documents; however, the team has refused to do so repeatedly.

The team vehemently denied those claims in a statement:

“The Commanders have never prevented the NFL from obtaining any non-privileged documents and will not do so in the future,” Jordan Siev, an attorney for team owner Daniel Snyder, said in a statement via the Washington Post.

There is no good guy here. For Snyder and the NFL, it’s all about covering your own backside. That means throwing one another under the bus, precisely what we are seeing.

 

 

Roger Goodell speaks on Dan Snyder, Washington investigation

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke about Daniel Snyder and the investigation into Washington Wednesday.

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It was another busy day in the news cycle for the Washington Commanders and owner Daniel Snyder. And, as you might expect, it was nothing particularly good.

Early Wednesday, the Commanders announced the hiring of Pallas Global, which would manage an independent investigation into the claims against Snyder last week by former team employee Tiffani Johnston.

Later in the day, an NFL spokesman said the league would oversee the investigation, not Washington.

All of this occurred on the same day NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke from Los Angeles to discuss Super Bowl LVI and other hot league topics.

To no one’s surprise, Goodell discussed the ongoing drama with the Commanders.

First, Goodell was asked about the most recent allegations made against Snyder.

Here’s his response:

“I don’t see how a team can do its own investigation of itself,” Goodell replied. “We need to understand what truly happened and treat that in the most serious way.”

Goodell was also adamant there was no deal with Snyder and the NFL regarding releasing the findings of the Wilkinson report into Washington’s toxic workplace culture. It was reported last week that Snyder must approve the release of the investigation’s findings.

Goodell’s response, per Ben Standig of The Athletic:

One more interesting question was presented to Snyder, one in which he probably wasn’t too comfortable answering.

If Snyder thinks this is going away anytime soon, he’s mistaken.