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.