House committee accepts Snyder’s offer to testify virtually
A placard for Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Commanders football team, is seen, Wednesday, June 22, 2022, during a House Oversight Committee hearing on the Washington Commanders' workplace conduct, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Snyder did not attend the hearing virtually or otherwise. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform has accepted an offer for Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder to testify virtually July 28.
Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney wrote a letter to attorney Karen Patton Seymour on Tuesday saying he would be allowed to testify via Zoom under the conditions set out by the committee’s initial subpoena “to ensure that Mr. Snyder’s testimony will be full and complete and will not be restricted in the way it would be if the deposition were conducted voluntarily.”
The committee is set to give Snyder access to exhibitions used in prior depositions and interview transcripts as well as descriptions of redacted information, which were among the elements requested by his representatives in a previous letter. July 28 was also one of their preferred dates after declining several previous invitations.
Snyder did not appear when first invited along with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who testified virtually June 22, with prior obligations and international travel given among the reasons.
His camp has until Wednesday at noon EDT to confirm Snyder will appear before the committee, which launched an investigation into the team’s workplace culture last year after the league did not release a report of its independent review into the organization, which prompted a $10 million fine.
Congress has since looked into accusations of pervasive sexual harassments of women who worked for the team by Snyder and other executives. According to a document released by the committee, Snyder conducted a “shadow investigation” that sought to discredit former employees making accusations of workplace sexual harassment, hired private investigators to intimidate witnesses, and used an overseas lawsuit as a pretext to obtain phone records and emails.
Patton Seymour wrote to the committee last week offering Snyder would be willing to testify voluntarily July 28 or 29.
A spokesperson for Snyder said his attorneys “are reviewing the Committee’s letter to determine if their due process concerns, including the circumstances of Mr. Snyder’s appearance, have adequately been addressed.”
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