The most damning findings about Commanders owner Dan Snyder and the NFL from the House Oversight Committee's workplace misconduct investigation report

• The House Oversight Committee released its findings from an investigation into the Washington Commanders' hostile work environment.
• The 79-page report became public on Thursday, revealing some damning pieces of information about team owner Dan Snyder.

The House Oversight Committee on Thursday released its report on its examination of the workplace culture of the Washington Commanders, bringing to light new details about the team and league's response to internal accusations of sexual harassment, as well as the actions of team owner Dan Snyder throughout the investigation.

"Today's report reflects the damning findings of the Committee's year-long investigation and shows how one of the most powerful organizations in America, the NFL, mishandled pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct at the Washington Commanders," said Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Over the past two years, Snyder and the Commanders franchise have been under investigation regarding accusations of sexual harassment by women who used to work for the team in several capacities, painting the picture of a toxic working environment.

In 2020, the Commanders commissioned their own investigation, led by prominent lawyer Beth Wilkinson, which was initially overseen by Snyder before being taken over by the NFL itself. Wilkinson's investigation concluded in July 2021 with an oral report given to the league, but a full written report never manifested.

In the wake of that investigation, the House Oversight Committee launched its own, building on Wilkinson's report and looking into why a more detailed version never made it out to the public.

After releasing their findings on Thursday, several new details have been revealed to the public.

The report makes clear that both the Commanders and the NFL did not hand over all materials that were requested from the initial investigation.

When the House Oversight Committee began its investigation, it requested the cooperation of the league and the Commanders in handing over many documents, including much of what had been put together during the Wilkinson investigation. Much of their request was refused.

"The League, working closely with the Commanders through a previously undisclosed common interest agreement, refused to produce more than 40,000 responsive documents, including the findings of the Wilkinson investigation and materials from Ms. Wilkinson's files," the report states.

Documents that were not turned over to the Committee included "the Wilkinson Investigation findings, several PowerPoint presentations that Mr. Snyder made to the NFL and Ms. Wilkinson during the Wilkinson Investigation, a 2018 human resources audit report showing deficiencies in the Commanders' human resources department, a 2009 confidential settlement that resolved sexual assault allegations against Mr. Snyder, and 2008 and 2010 videos of outtakes from cheerleader photoshoots."

During his deposition, Commanders owner Dan Snyder was evasive, claiming more than 100 times that he could not recall the answers to questions asked by the committee.

Snyder refused an initial invitation from the House Oversight Committee to testify at a public hearing, and went as far as to hide away abroad on his yacht in order to avoid being served a subpoena.

When Snyder finally did sit down for a deposition, the report states that he was evasive with many of his answers.

"He claimed more than 100 times that he could not recall the answers to the Committee's questions, including basic inquiries about his role as Team owner and multiple allegations of misconduct," the report states. "Mr. Snyder also gave misleading testimony about his efforts to interfere with the Wilkinson Investigation."

The investigation also brought to light more disturbing examples of the workplace harassment that initially made headlines in the Washington Post.

Wilkinson's investigation into the Commanders franchise was sparked after the Washington Post reported on several disturbing accusations from former employees.

The report accused the team of a sustaining a troubling culture, with men in the office said to have acted inappropriately toward their female coworkers. The allegations include name-calling, unwanted touching, and aggressive advances from several employees of the organization.

"I was propositioned basically every day at training camp," one female employee said, according to The Post.

Since that first bombshell report, the Washington Post and other news outlets have continued to uncover more and more allegations against Snyder and others inside the franchise office.

In the Houst Oversight Committee's report, several more examples are put forward.

"The Committee's February 3, 2022, roundtable revealed allegation that Mr. Snyder inappropriately touched former employee Tiffani Johnston at a work dinner and attempted to 'aggressively push' her into his limousine until he was stopped by onlookers," the report states.

Brad Baker, a former video production employee, testified that he was "tasked us with producing a video for Snyder of sexually suggestive footage of cheerleaders, obviously unbeknownst to any of the women involved."

Despite saying he would not interfere with the investigation, the report states that Snyder hired private investigators to stake out the homes of former employees.

Former team president Bruce Allen testified that in March 2021, Snyder sent private investigators to his home, resulting in a near-absurd direct interaction with the PI.

The report also states that Snyder continued his use of private investigators despite being directly asked by the league to stop "investigating any of these matters."

According to the report, the leaked emails that resulted in the firing of then-Raiders head coach Jon Gruden "came out of their side," referring to the Commanders.

During the 2021 season, then-Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden resigned after The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reported on emails from Gruden, in which he repeatedly used racist and homophobic language.

The emails surfaced in part due to the investigation into the Commanders franchise, then known as the Washington Football Team. After the revelation of the emails cost Gruden his job, players, the union, and the lawyers who represented several of the former Washington employees all called for more transparency.

At the time, some speculated that the emails were leaked by Washington to distract from the troubles at their own organization.

In the HOC report, former Washington team president Bruce Allen, who exchanged the emails in question with Gruden, testified that NFL counsel Lisa Friel indicated that the Commanders were in fact responsible for the leaks, stating, "We didn't do it at the league office. It came out of their side."

The committee also found that the NFL and Snyder negotiated over the punishment and recommendations the Commanders received.

After the conclusion of the Wilkinson investigation, the NFL punished the Commanders with a $10 million fine. A series of recommendations — including protocols for reporting harassment, a disciplinary action plan, and more — were also put in place.

According to the HOC report, both the fine and the recommendations were negotiated between Snyder and the NFL.

"In an October 27, 2022, online radio interview, counsel for Mr. Snyder admitted that the outcome of the Wilkinson Investigation was a 'negotiated resolution,'" the report reads.

It continues:

"Counsel for Mr. Snyder also admitted to the Committee that Mr. Snyder had asserted privilege in connection with the NFL's release of information.

"The Team's $10 million fine was also the result of negotiations with the NFL. The NFL's July 1 press release announced that the Commanders—not Mr. Snyder—would 'pay $10 million' that would be used 'to support organizations committed to character education, antibullying, healthy relationships and related topics' and that the NFL would 'solicit recommendations from the club' for worthy organizations.

"The Committee's investigation revealed that the NFL chose to negotiate the financial penalty with Mr. Snyder rather than refer the decision to the NFL's Executive Committee for a vote."

"The NFL allowed Mr. Snyder to choose his own punishment," said Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, in a statement released alongside the report. "So Congress must act to protect workers, because the conduct that took place in the Commanders' organization is not acceptable — not in the NFL, and not in any workplace."

In response to the release of the House Oversight Committee's report, the NFL released a statement.

The Washington Commanders also released a statement of their own, via counsel John Brownlee and Stuart Nash:

"These Congressional investigators demonstrated, almost immediately, that they were not interested in the truth, and were only interested in chasing headlines by pursuing one side of the story. Today's report is the predictable culmination of that one-sided approach.

"There are no new revelations here. The Committee persists in criticizing Mr. Snyder for declining to voluntarily appear at the Committee's hearing last spring, notwithstanding Mr. Snyder's agreement to sit, at a date chosen by the Committee, for an unprecedented 11-hours of questioning under oath. The only two members of Congress who witnessed any part of that deposition, one Democrat and one Republican, both made public statements in the wake of the deposition characterizing Mr. Snyder's answers as truthful, cooperative, and candid. As is typical of the Committee, they have refused, despite our repeated requests to release the full transcript of Mr. Snyder's deposition.

"The Committee suggests that Mr. Snyder prevented witnesses from coming forward yet does not identify a single witness who did not come forward or who suffered a single adverse consequence for having done so.

"And, ironically for an 'investigative' body, supposedly engaged in an 'investigation,' the investigators actually criticize the team and Mr. Snyder for providing evidence to the Committee — such as e-mails former team employees sent from their workplace accounts — that reveal the actual causes of the formerly dysfunctional workplace environment at the team.

"Today's report does not advance public knowledge of the Washington Commanders workplace in any way. The team is proud of the progress it has made in recent years in establishing a welcoming and inclusive workplace, and it looks forward to future success, both on and off the field."