Daniel Snyder will face House Committee questions under oath on Thursday

Suspension

Washington Leaders Owner Daniel Snyder will remotely share an sworn briefing Thursday with the House Oversight and Reform Committee, after he and the committee agreed on interview terms after weeks of deliberation.

The committee announced the agreement early Thursday morning, after negotiations continued, in which lawyers from both sides participated, late Wednesday night. Snyder is scheduled to give a voluntary statement under oath on issues related to the team’s workplace at 8 a.m. Thursday without accepting a subpoena.

“The committee’s briefing to Mr. Snyder will move forward today,” a commission spokesman said in a written statement. “Mr. Snyder is committed to providing full and complete testimony, answering the Committee’s questions about his knowledge and contributions to the leaders’ toxic work environment, as well as his efforts to interfere with the NFL’s internal investigation, without hiding behind nondisclosure or other confidentiality agreements. If Mr. Snyder fails to To fulfill his obligations, the Commission is prepared to compel his testimony on any unanswered questions upon his return to the United States.”

Thursday’s testimony will not be public. Actions will be copied. It is not clear if the text will ever be made public; This is at the discretion of the committee. The affidavit will be conducted by the commission’s staff, most of whom are attorneys, and is expected to last longer than the two-and-a-half-hour public hearing last month in which NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was questioned by lawmakers rather than attorneys.

Representative Caroline B. Maloney (DN.Y.), Chairperson, made a procedural requirement through Deposit notice of deposit Monday With the US House of Representatives Clerk’s Office. But it was not certain that the deposit would actually occur until the parties resolved their differences over terms.

The agreement does not prevent the committee from making further attempts to serve Snyder with a subpoena if the committee is not satisfied with his level of cooperation during Thursday’s filing. After Snyder declined an invitation to appear In the June 22 session On Capitol Hill, Snyder’s attorney rejected the commission’s initial efforts to file a subpoena electronically.

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Witnesses told the commission that Daniel Snyder was not “raising his hand” as an NFL owner.

Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), a member of the committee, said in a phone interview On Tuesday that while committee members are invited to attend affidavits, questioning is usually done by professional staff immersed in related issues.

“They are lawyers and operate legally,” Connolly said. “Honestly, this is a very useful platform on which to hold a public hearing.”

Snyder and the committee have been at odds in recent weeks over the terms of his appearance even after Thursday’s committee accepted Calium for an upcoming interview. Snyder’s attorney, Karen Patton Seymour, has repeatedly cited justice and due process issues, and said Snyder would appear voluntarily. The committee sought Snyder’s appearance under a subpoena.

Under the voluntary testimony, Snyder will likely choose the questions he will answer. Under a subpoena, he would not have the power to avoid answering a question without citing a constitutionally protected privilege.

In his comments days before the eleventh hour agreement, Connolly sharply criticized Snyder’s approach to dealing with the committee.

“I was marked by Dan Snyder’s typical arrogance and practicality: ‘I make the rules. I have to decide when to comply.'” said Connolly, whose Northern Virginia region stretches from Herndon to Quantico and includes many fans of the captains, as well as the former staff.

“Some of the negotiations between the commission and witnesses has been unheard of. But in this particular case, I think it shows the kind of arrogance he has earned such a reputation for. And let’s put it in context: it’s the context of denial and trying to avoid responsibility for the toxic and sexist work environment that he created. This It’s all about harm reduction and accountability avoidance and that’s the context of these negotiations.”

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Goodell testified remotely at the June 22 hearing. Seymour cited scheduling conflicts, fairness issues, and legal procedures for not showing up for Snyder at the time. Maloney announced during the hearing that she would issue a subpoena for the filing of a T0 affidavit that legally binds Snyder’s testimony. But Seymour Refuse to accept notification of this subpoena On behalf of Snyder, Maloney noted in a letter dated July 12. Snyder’s extended travel abroad complicates the process of filing a subpoena in person.

On the House Committee, Daniel Snyder may have increased his legal risk

The committee was studying Allegations of sexual harassment on a large scale Inside the Leaders Organization, including the accusations against Snyder. Tiffany Johnston, a former cheerleader and marketing director for the team, said: At a congressional round table in February That Snyder teased her at a group dinner party, put his hand on her thigh and pressed her toward his limousine. Snyder denied the accusations, calling them “blatant lies.”

Washington Post I mentioned last month Details of an employee’s claim at the time that Snyder sexually assaulted her during a flight on his private jet in April 2009. Three months later, the team agreed to pay the employee $1.6 million he fired in a confidential settlement. In a 2020 court filing, Snyder called the woman’s allegations “without merit.” Goodell told the committee during the June 22 hearing that he did not recall Snyder reporting the NFL at the time of the sexual assault allegations.

In its investigation, the commission found that Snyder and members of his legal team conducted a “shadow investigation” He compiled a “file” targeting the team’s former employees, their lawyers and journalists in an attempt to discredit his accusers and shift the blame.

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In April, the Committee Detailed allegations of financial wrongdoing By Snyder and team in a letter to the Federal Trade Commission. The Attorney General of the Democratic capital, Karl A. Racine and Virginia Republican Jason S. Mearis, they will investigate. The team denied any financial wrongdoing.

Republicans on the committee criticized the Democratic-led investigation of Snyder, the team and the NFL, saying the committee should focus on issues of greater national importance. They said they would drop the matter if he took over the committee leadership in January based on the results of the midterm elections in November.

The NFL has commissioned an ongoing investigation into the latest allegations against Snyder. This probe Universe Supervised by Mary Jo White, a former US attorney for the Southern District of New York and former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. after a previous investigation Written by Attorney Beth WilkinsonLast July, the NFL announced that the team He was fined $10 million and that Snyder’s wife, Tanya, the team’s co-CEO, will take charge of the day-to-day operations of the franchise for an indefinite period. The association said White’s report, unlike Wilkinson, would be made public.

Several NFL owners said in May they would Great comment support From Daniel Snyder if allegations of sexual misconduct and financial impropriety are substantiated against him and the team. They said no meaningful steps were taken at that point toward making a push to remove Snyder from ownership of his franchise. Connolly said Tuesday he hopes that will change.

“There has to be accountability,” Connolly said. “There has to be a complete cultural change. And frankly – I’ll be honest – I think that means a change of ownership.”

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