Multiple NFL sources say they've been told that Dan Snyder instructed his law firms to look into owners and league executives. His attorneys deny the allegations as 'categorically false.' More from SethWickersham, DVNJr and TishaESPN:
, when one of his law firms, Reed Smith, was found to have hired"private investigators to harass and intimidate" dozens of former team employees during the Wilkinson inquiry. Former team employees told investigators that"Mr. Snyder's use of private investigators intimidated them and discouraged them from participating in the Wilkinson investigation." The resulting product was a 100-slide presentation made to Wilkinson and the league, dated Nov.
Jon Gruden's emails containing racist, misogynistic and anti-gay language were leaked to The Wall Street Journal in early October 2021. A few days later, Bruce Allen's emails were leaked to The New York Times, and Gruden resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Still, owners and team executives say they are impressed by her for twice"taking a bullet" for her husband in closed-door apologies for the team's toxic culture -- while assuming the role of her husband's chief defender publicly and privately.
"His gate is the lowest in the league, his revenues are significantly low and trending lower," a veteran owner says."He is costing his fellow owners significant money." Under Snyder's watch, FedEx Field has reduced capacity from more than 90,000 seats to around 64,000 this year.
To owners, Snyder's failure to get a new stadium has become a major vulnerability -- and with no easy solution in sight, some owners are quietly preparing to exploit it. By March, both the state House and Senate had passed the bill. The stadium bill faced only a conference committee to iron out differences. But lawmakers underestimated a public outcry following the Feb. 3 congressional roundtable at the U.S. Capitol, where five female former employees described numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, both against the team's former senior executives and Snyder himself.
Snyder was now stuck. FedEx Field is in Maryland, where Gov. Larry Hogan said in March that he would refuse to engage in a bidding war for a new stadium. And just as the Virginia deal was blowing up, D.C. Council President Phil Mendelson and a majority of the council announced they would oppose construction of a stadium, which the team lobbied for over the past year, unless the NFL releases the Wilkinson report.
Owners know that Snyder likely can't build a stadium without significant financial help. Even if he were to sell ownership stakes in the team, essentially making a cash call on a team valued by Forbes to be the NFL's sixth highest at $5.6 billion, Snyder would still likely fall short. There are league rules in place limiting how much debt owners can carry, but owners have approved debt limit waivers for new stadiums, often making up rules as they go.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has shown little initiative to play any role in kicking out Snyder, despite the sentiment of league staff and a growing contingent of owners. Goodell testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Goodell later told associates in colorful language that he couldn't believe that he had to testify as Snyder was on his yacht, dodging Congress. Snyder's 305-foot yacht Lady S, which rents at $1.
Owners and executives tell ESPN they're annoyed that Snyder has flaunted how little he cares about his league penalties. Goodell has not used the word"suspended" when publicly discussing Snyder's departure, but usually says he is"stepping away.
Snyder's lawyers say Commanders president Jason Wright has done such a good job changing the team's culture that"there has been little need for Dan to involve himself in the Team's operations." now. Such is the refrain from team executives when confronted by nagging questions about the Commanders' controversies. New people, diverse in background, race, gender and experience, are now running the team.
Wright was supposed to be in charge of the stadium initiative. But after Snyder was punished by Goodell, he announced he would lead all stadium efforts, confusing local lawmakers who didn't know whom they should be talking to. Before he left the team last month for an executive position in private equity, Greg Resh, the Commanders' former COO and a vital member of Snyder's inner circle, told executives at league meetings that he was in charge and dismissed Wright as a figurehead.
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