Why have Dan Snyder’s Washington Commanders been slapped with $425K fine? D.C. Attorney General reaches settlement in fan dispute
Dan Snyder and the Washington Commanders can't seem to stay out of headlines as of late. The team was handed a $425,000 fine after the Attorney General of Washington D.C., Brian Schwalb, reached a settlement with the Commanders, or "Pro-Football Inc.", the company that owns the NFL franchise.
The lawsuit was filed against the Washington Commanders by its fans after they allegedly failed to return ticket deposits, which they claimed in the agreement that they would.
The Commanders now have to pay a $425,000 fine as well as $200,000 in ticket deposits that were failed to be made.
"D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced his office reached a settlement with Pro-Football Inc., which owns the Commanders, for failing to return ticket deposits to District fans. The team will pay a $425K fine to D.C. and refund the remaining $200K deposits."
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced his office reached a settlement with Pro-Football Inc., which owns the Commanders, for failing to return ticket deposits to District fans. The team will pay a $425K fine to D.C. and refund the remaining $200K deposits. twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
As part of the settlement, Washington continues to deny all of the allegations made against them, stating that they didn't violate any consumer protection laws. It also states that by agreeing to settle the matter, it does not indicate liability or guilt by the team.
"Defendant denies all of the District’s allegations and claims, including that it has violated any consumer protection laws, including the CPPA. No part of this settlement, including its statements and commitments, shall constitute evidence of any liability, fault, or wrongdoing by Defendant."
Per the settlement: "Defendant denies all of the District’s allegations and claims, including that it has violated any consumer protection laws, including the CPPA. No part of this settlement, including its statements and commitments, shall constitute evidence of any liability,… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
This adds to Dan Snyder's process of settling ongoing issues surrounding his team just weeks before the official sale takes place.
Is Dan Snyder delaying the sale of the Washington Commanders?
Last week, five-time NBA Champion Magic Johnson confirmed that his group, which includes Josh Harris, had put in a bid for the Commanders. The bid is said to be around $6 billion, the asking price that Dan Snyder was said to be looking for when he first began the selling process.
With the bid in place, it appears that all negotiations have stalled on Snyder's part. Why could that be?
Well, according to a report from A.J. Perez, Snyder is hoping and essentially waiting for another bidder to place a bid. There are rumors that he is still hoping that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will place a bid for the team and exceed the price over the $6 billion mark.
NEW: The Washington Commanders' sale process remains at a standstill. Josh Harris' bid is close to what owner Dan Snyder would accept, but sources tell @FOS that Snyder appears to be waiting on somebody—maybe even Jeff Bezos—to get the bidding beyond $6B. frontofficesports.com/commanders-own…
Canadian businessman Steve Apostolopoulos was said to have strong interest in the team and a rumor even circulated that he would plan to make a bid of $6 billion. However, reports since then have said that he is still looking to add partners to his group before placing a bid.
It's unknown how long Snyder will drag his feet before selecting a buyer for the team. Or, if he gets any additional buyers at this point.