Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell have been asked to testify at a Congressional hearing in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on June 22.
The Committee is in the middle of an investigation into Washington’s toxic workplace culture and recent claims against Snyder.
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-New York), the chairperson of the Committee, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois) said a letter was sent to Goodell and Snyder requesting the presence of both men at the June 22 hearing.
“Since we launched our investigation in October, the committee’s goal has been to uncover the truth about the culture of harassment and abuse at the Washington Commanders, to hold accountable those responsible, and to better protect workers across the country,” Maloney said in a statement.
“The Committee has worked tirelessly to obtain critical information, including the findings of the internal investigation conducted by attorney Beth Wilkinson, only to be met with obstruction from the Commanders and the NFL at every turn.”
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy acknowledged the NFL had received the written request and would respond in a “timely manner.”
In addition to the workplace culture allegations, there are also the allegations of financial improprieties by the Commanders, claims the team has strongly denied.
“The NFL really needs to answer the question of why it conducted the investigation in the way it did and why hasn’t it brought transparency as to how the investigation was conducted,” Krishnamoorthi told ESPN via John Keim and Tisha Thompson.
“It’s in their best interest to come and tell their own side of the story in a manner they would find illuminating for us,” Krishnamoorthi said. “What I find often on Capitol Hill is that when a party comes forward voluntarily as opposed to being subpoenaed, it ends up having a better chance of being able to explain the situation rather than events overtaking it.”
If Goodell and Snyder refuse to testify, Krishnamoorthi said all options are on the table.
This comes on the same day as the state of Virginia was initially expected to vote on giving the team $300 million for a new stadium in Northern Virginia. On Tuesday, Virginia lawmakers said there would be no vote and pushed until a later time.