In December, the House Oversight and Reform Committee released a final report from their investigation into allegations of sexual assault committed by Washington Commanders team owner Dan Snyder. In this episode, you will hear the testimony and discover what the NFL did - or didn't do - to punish the people who sexually harassed their employees. You will also learn that in the process of researching this episode, the Congressional Dish team discovered that the hearings related to this investigation, among others, have recently vanished from the committee archives, raising questions about how that happened and what needs to be done to prevent our sources from being disappeared. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: [email protected] Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or [email protected] Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! View the shownotes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd268-disappearing-oversight-the-nfl-sexual-misconduct-investigation Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD262: Inside C-SPAN with Howard Mortman CD256: Poisonous Pet Collars CD234: AWOL Recall: The Rock and Play Sleeper Washington Commanders-Dan Snyder Background "To Native American groups, Redskins name is 'worst offender.' Now they hope for more changes." Adam Kilgore and Roman Stubbs. Jul 9, 2020. The Washington Post. "'Bethesda man to make bid for Redskins': How Daniel Snyder became an NFL owner." Scott Allen. May 24, 2019. The Washington Post. Full House Committee on Oversight and Reform Report "Read the Full Report on the Washington Commanders" Dec 8, 2022. The New York Times. NFL Investigation "The NFL's investigation was just like Daniel Snyder's workplace culture: Rotten." Sally Jenkins. Jul 1, 2021. The Washington Post. "NFL announces outcome of Washington Football Team workplace review." Jul 1, 2021. NFL. Dan Snyder Misconduct "Daniel Snyder pledged support for the NFL's investigation. His actions tell a different story." Will Hobson and Liz Clarke. Dec 14, 2021. The Washington Post. "NFL fines Washington Football Team $10 million; Tanya Snyder to run operations for now." Will Hobson et al. Jul 2, 2021. The Washington Post. "Tanya Snyder, wife of owner Daniel Snyder, named co-CEO of Washington Football Team." Nicki Jhabvala and Mark Maske. Jun 29, 2021. The Washington Post. "Washington Football Team settled sexual misconduct claim against Daniel Snyder for $1.6 million." Will Hobson et al. Dec 22, 2020. The Washington Post. "Lewd cheerleader videos, sexist rules: Ex-employees decry Washington's NFL team workplace." Will Hobson et al. Aug 26, 2020. The Washington Post. "From Dream Job to Nightmare." Will Hobson and Liz Clarke. Jul 16, 2020. The Washington Post. Dan Snyder Money "How did Daniel Snyder make his money? Net worth & more to know about Commanders owner's businesses." Edward Sutelan. Nov 14, 2022. The Sporting News. "Average Net Worth by Age: How Do You Compare?" Lauren Schwahn. Dec 2, 2022. Nerd Wallet. Dave Portnoy Superbowl Arrest "Barstool's Dave Portnoy physically carried out of Super Bowl 53 (Video)." Danny Small. Feb 4, 2019. Elite Sports NY. NFL Ownership and Potential Commanders Sale "Dan Snyder Reportedly Holding Out for $7B Bid for Commanders amid Sale Rumors." Scott Polacek. Feb 8, 2023. Bleacher Report. "Is Dan Snyder selling the Commanders? What to know as Washington owner explores 'potential transactions.'" Joe Rivera. Nov 2, 2022. The Sporting News. "List of NFL franchise owners." Wikipedia. Past Congressional Oversight of Sporting Organizations "Congress wants WWE's info on steroids, doping." Associated Press. Jul 28, 2007. MSNBC via the Wayback Machine. "Steroid Use in Baseball: Players." House Government Reform and Oversight Committee (109th Congress). March 17, 2005. C-SPAN. NFL Nonprofit Status and Lobbying "Professional Football Leagues." IRS. "National Football League: Summary." Open Secrets. "NFL reportedly generated record-setting $11 billion in national revenue last season." Matt Johnson. Jul 15, 2022. Sportsnaut. House Control "The Democrats Lost the House by Just 6,675 Votes. What Went Wrong?" Walter Shapiro. Feb 9, 2023. The New Republic. Laws H.R. 4445: Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 Bills H.R. 8146: Accountability for Workplace Misconduct Act H.R. 8145: Professional Images Protection Act Hearings NFL Commissioner Testifies on Washington Commanders Workplace Culture June 22, 2022 House Oversight and Reform Committee Witness: Rodger Goodell:, Commissioner, National Football League Clips 3:05 Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY): We also invited Daniel Snyder to testify today, but rather than show up and take responsibility for his actions, he chose to skip town. Apparently Mr. Snyder is in France, where he has docked his luxury yacht near a resort town. 3:45 Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY): According to top executives, he fired women, but not men, who engaged in relationships with other employees while defending male executives accused of sexual harassment. And he kept employees from speaking out through a culture of fear. As one longtime employee described Mr. Snyder's tactics: "If you don't obey, intimidate. If you still don't obey, terminate." Finally, the employee added, "If that didn't work, buy them off." The Committee has also uncovered evidence that Mr. Snyder conducted a shadow investigation to target his accusers, pin the blame on others, and influence the NFL's own internal review. He filed phony lawsuits to collect private phone records, emails, and text messages. 7:10 Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY): Our first bill, the Accountability for Workplace Misconduct Act, will require employers to conduct thorough investigations and share the outcome with victims, and it will prohibit employers from using Non-disclosure Agreements to conceal workplace misconduct -- one of Dan Snyder's favorite tactics. Our second bill is the Professional Images Protection Act. Our investigation confirmed that the Commanders secretly created lewd videos of cheerleaders for the private enjoyment of Dan Snyder. That is despicable and our bill will create notice and consent requirements for employers who use their employees' professional images. 23:10 Rodger Goodell: Hi I'm Roger Goodell commissioner of the National Football League and I'm here today to discuss the NFL's efforts to promote safe and respectful workplaces, including at the Washington Commanders. 23:25 Rodger Goodell: The Commanders are one of 32 NFL clubs, each of which is managed by its ownership and executives and have their own workplaces and policies. Two years ago, the Commanders asked me to recommend independent counsel to address workplace issues and recommend changes to improve the workplace culture. We identified several candidates and the club selected Beth Wilkinson, a distinguished former Federal Prosecutor. Approximately six weeks later, the club asked my office to assume oversight of the Wilkinson firm's work. The Wilkinson firm conducted a comprehensive review of the workplace at the club, interviewing more than 150 witnesses. As a result, we gained a clearer understanding of what the workplace had been at the Commanders, how it had begun to change, and what further steps were needed to support our ultimate goal of transforming that workplace to one that is safe and productive for all of its employees. 25:05 Rodger Goodell: It is clear to me that the workplace in Washington was unprofessional and unacceptable in numerous respects: bullying, widespread disrespect toward colleagues, use of demeaning language, public embarrassment and harassment. Moreover, for a prolonged period of time, the Commanders had a woefully deficient HR function, particularly with respect to reporting practices and record keeping. As a result, we imposed unprecedented discipline on the club, monetary penalties of well over $10 million, and requirements that the club implement a series of recommendations and allow an outside firm to conduct regular reviews of their workplace. In addition, for the past year, Daniel Snyder has not attended league or committee meetings, and to the best of my knowledge has not been involved in day to day operations at the Commanders. The cheerleader program has been entirely revamped and it's now a co-ed dance team under new leadership. And the most recent independent workplace report, which we have shared with the Committee, confirms that an entirely new, highly skilled and diverse management team is in place, and that there has been, "substantial transformation of the team's culture, leadership and human resources practices." 26:35 Rodger Goodell: We did not receive a written report of Miss Wilkinson's findings for compelling reasons that continue to this day. A critical element of any workplace review is broad participation by both current and former employees. Encouraging employees to come forward and share their experiences, which were frequently painful and emotional, was essential to identifying both the organization's failures and how to fix them. To encourage this participation, Ms. Wilkinson promised confidentiality to any current or former employee. For this reason, shortly after we assumed oversight of Miss Wilkinson's work, we determined that a comprehensive oral briefing was best to allow us to receive the information necessary both to evaluate the workplace as it was, and to ensure that the team put in place the policies and processes to reform that workplace, all while preserving the confidentiality of those who participated in the investigation...