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"Refusal to testify sends an unmistakable signal that Mr. Snyder has something to hide" - Commanders owner slammed for not attending Congressional hearing

Washington Commanders v Miami Dolphins
Washington Commanders v Miami Dolphins

Dan Snyder isn't considered to be doing himself any favors as the Commanders' owner. He has refused to attend a Congressional hearing concerning the fallout from the franchise's alleged sexual harassment and workplace misconduct.

The House committee wants Snyder to testify about the alleged incidents involving his franchise. According to his attorney, Karen Patton, the team's owner has a team conflict, explaining why Snyder can't attend. It seems odd that Snyder will not even remotely attend, despite certain accommodations having been made for him. Nonetheless, it did not go down well with the House Oversight Committee.

As Members of Congress from the National Capital Region, we represent the people impacted by the Commanders' hostile work environment.

We see Dan Snyder is refusing to explain himself to Congress.

We have a clear message for the NFL and Commissioner Goodell: release the report. https://t.co/Z8mh6cs9JE

The House Oversight Committee believes Snyder's testimony is key to the entire investigation. A committee spokesperson said in a statement via Yahoo.com:

"If Mr. Snyder was truly committed to cooperating with the Committee's investigation, he would have accepted the Committee's invitation to testify about the Commanders' toxic workplace culture. As the Chairwoman's letter made clear, the Committee has been more than accommodating — even allowing Mr. Snyder to testify remotely from France.
Dan Snyder has declined to testify before congress on NFL misconduct

#PMSLive https://t.co/KXrgeA2rxb

The statement further said:

“His refusal to testify sends an unmistakable signal that Mr. Snyder has something to hide and is afraid of coming clean to the American public and addressing major worker protection concerns facing the NFL. The Committee will not be deterred in its investigation to uncover the truth of workplace misconduct at the Washington Commanders.”

Six former team employees put forth allegations of sexual harassment and abuse back in February. Snyder's refusal to come forward and give his side of the story leaves the Committee with the impression that he might be hiding something.

The Commanders have had a turbulent offseason

Houston Texans v Indianapolis Colts
Houston Texans v Indianapolis Colts

For a team with a brand new name, it was thought the franchise was starting a new chapter in Washington. Unfortunately, trouble seems to continue following them. In addition to the reported workplace misconduct, there was the allegation that Washington held back ticket revenue that was supposed to be shared around the league. Under the NFL's stipulated rules, 40% of such revenue must be shared with other teams.

On top of Dan Snyder's severe situation, the Commanders again made headlines last week when defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio came under heavy criticism.

The coordinator was fined $100,000 by the franchise after his comments about the attack on the Capitol on January 6 in response to the death of George Floyd. He called the riots a "dust-up" and consequently faced a hefty media backlash for the comment. He has since deleted his Twitter account.

It can be generally agreed that it's been a counterproductive offseason for Washington behind the scenes thus far. However, with a new quarterback in Carson Wentz, the Commanders will look to turn their fate around this coming 2022 season.

If you use any of the above quotes, please reference Yahoo.com.

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