The House Committee on Oversight and Reform has accepted Washington Commanders The owner Dan Snyder offered to be present via video conference, but he said that he couldn’t as a voluntary matter, as his lawyer had requested.
The committee stated that it would only accept Snyder’s testimony if it received a subpoena in a letter sent by Carolyn Maloney (D.New York). The committee issued another subpoena and gave Snyder’s attorney a deadline of Wednesday at noon for him to accept.
They issued a subpoena six days earlier, on June 24, for a hearing. However, the subpoena was rejected.
Maloney said that the committee wanted Snyder to testify under subpoena in order to make sure that his testimony is “full and complete” and not restricted in any way.
Maloney also mentioned Snyder’s “month-long refusal to cooperate” with the committee as another reason for wanting him to appear by subpoena.
Dave Rapallo is the Georgetown University Federal Legislation Clinic director and Democratic staff director at the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, 2011-2021. He stated last week that there’s a significant difference between testing voluntary and being subpoenaed.
Rapallo said, “If it’s subpoenaed, you have to answer that question.” Rapallo stated, “If it is voluntary and you are not under subpoena you don’t.”
Rapallo suggested that Snyder could be allowed to testify in his own free will, and could then claim that he cannot answer because of the non-disclosure agreements. Maloney wrote in the letter, “Mr. Snyder’s troubling history of using NDAs as cover-ups for workplace misconduct — behavior that is key to our investigation — it would be highly inappropriate to use the same tactic. To withhold information from this Committee.”
Many of the former employees and employees who took part in the NFL’s internal investigation into Commanders’ workplace culture signed nondisclosure agreement.
The Commanders didn’t immediately respond to the letter with a statement.
Maloney stated that the committee had already agreed to allow Snyder to testify remotely, as well give him access the transcribed interviews with other witnesses and a description of the information redacted by them in the prior transcripts.
Seymour stated in a letter last week to the committee that Snyder would be visiting Israel for “much” of July and “into august” to mark the one year anniversary of his mother’s death. Seymour stated that she would travel to Israel to attend Snyder’s video deposition. The proceedings will be held in private. However, the committee has the option to release all or part the transcript.
Seymour wrote in the letter that she previously had work duties in Europe at the dates proposed for July 6th and 8. Seymour was also in Europe on June 22 for work when Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, testified at a hearing regarding the investigation. Seymour stated that Snyder would be willing to testify on July 29 or 27, the last day of session before August recess.
The Commanders will start training camp July 27, and play their first preseason friendly against the Steelers on July 27. Carolina Panthers August 13.
Snyder was a regular attendee at his team’s training camps until recent years. Due to vacation plans, he didn’t arrive at camp until August 2019. He did not attend camp in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After Tanya, the wife of the NFL’s commissioner, imposed a record $10 million fine on the team for sexual misconduct and poor workplace culture in Washington’s franchise, he did not attend.
Goodell told the NFL league meetings that Snyder would no longer represent the team for the “foreseeable” future and that they would be discussing his return “at one point.” According to league sources, this conversation has not yet occurred.
Snyder was invited by the committee in June to attend the awards ceremony in France. Maloney stated that she would subpoena Snyder to take a deposition during Goodell’s testimony in June 22.