Daniel Snyder faces questions from a House committee under oath Thursday

“Mr. Snyder’s removal from the commission will be presented today,” a commission spokesman said in a written statement. “Mr. Snyder has committed to providing full and complete testimony and answering the committee’s questions about his knowledge of and contributions to the commanders’ toxic work environment, and his efforts to interfere in the NFL’s internal investigation without is hiding behind non-disclosure or other confidentiality agreements.If Mr. Snyder does not follow through on his commitments, the committee is prepared to call for his testimony on any unanswered questions upon his return to the United States.

The spokesman confirmed Thursday afternoon that the deposition had begun and was ongoing. A spokesman for Snyder declined to comment.

Thursday’s deposition was not public. The production was being copied. It is unclear whether the transcript will be released publicly at some point; this is at the discretion of the committee. The deposition was being conducted by committee staff, most of them lawyers, and was expected to last longer than last month’s 2½-hour public hearing in which NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was questioned by lawmakers, not lawyers.

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (DN.Y.), the committee’s chairwoman, complied with a procedural requirement by filing a notice of deposition Monday with the office of the U.S. House Clerk. But it was not certain that the deposition would actually take place until the parties resolved their differences over terms.

The agreement does not prevent the commission from making further attempts to serve Snyder with a subpoena if the commission is not satisfied with his level of cooperation during Thursday’s deposition. After Snyder declined an invitation to appear at a June 22 hearing on Capitol Hill, the committee’s initial attempt to serve a subpoena electronically was rebuffed by Snyder’s attorney.

Daniel Snyder was not “on the sidelines” as an NFL owner, committee witnesses said

Rep. Gerald E. Connelly (D-Va.), a member of the committee, said in a telephone interview Tuesday that while committee members are invited to attend the depositions, the questioning is usually conducted by professional staffers immersed in the issues at hand.

“They are lawyers and they are acting in a legal manner,” Connolly said. “Frankly, it’s a very useful platform from which to then hold a public hearing.”

Snyder and the committee have been at odds in recent weeks over the terms of his appearance, even after the committee set Thursday as the day for a prospective interview. Snyder’s attorney, Karen Patton Seymour, repeatedly cited issues of fairness and due process and said Snyder would plead voluntarily. The commission demanded that Snyder appear with a subpoena.

Under voluntary testimony, Snyder could choose which questions to answer. If subpoenaed, he would not have the opportunity to avoid answering a question without invoking a constitutionally protected privilege.

In comments days before the 11th-hour settlement, Connolly was sharply critical of Snyder’s approach to dealing with the committee.

“It’s characterized by the typical arrogance of Dan Snyder and his operation: ‘I can make the rules. I decide when and if to comply. I can set the boundaries of the questions that are asked and the terms and conditions under which I’m going to make myself available,” said Connelly, whose Northern Virginia district stretches from Herndon to Quantico and includes many Commanders fans as well as former team officials. .

“Some negotiations between the commission and witnesses are not unheard of.” But in this particular case, I think he’s just displaying the arrogance he’s richly earned his reputation for. And let’s put it in context: it’s the context of denial and trying to avoid responsibility for the toxic, sexist work environment he created. It’s all about damage limitation and avoiding liability, which is the context of these negotiations.

Goodell testified remotely at the June 22 hearing. Seymour cited a scheduling conflict and fairness and due process issues for Snyder’s failure to appear then. Maloney announced during the hearing that he would issue a subpoena to legally compel Snyder to testify. But Seymour refused to accept service of that subpoena on Snyder’s behalf, Maloney noted in a July 12 letter. Snyder’s extended overseas travel complicates the process of personally serving a subpoena.

In defying House panel, Daniel Snyder may have increased his legal jeopardy

The committee is investigating allegations of widespread sexual harassment within the Commanders organization, including allegations against Snyder. Tiffany Johnston, a former cheerleader and marketing manager for the team, told a congressional roundtable in February that Snyder harassed her at a team dinner, putting his hand on her thigh and pinning her against his limo. Snyder denied the allegations, calling them “outright lies.”

The Washington Post reported last month details of a then-employee’s claim that Snyder sexually assaulted her during a flight on his private jet in April 2009. Three months later, the team agreed to pay the fired employee $1.6 million in confidential agreement. In a 2020 court filing, Snyder called the woman’s claims “baseless.” Goodell told the committee during the June 22 hearing that he did not recall Snyder informing the NFL at the time of the sexual assault allegation.

The commission found in its investigation that Snyder and members of his legal team conducted a “shadow investigation” and compiled a “dossier” targeting former staffers, their lawyers and journalists in an attempt to discredit their accusers and shift blame.

In April, the commission detailed allegations of financial impropriety by Snyder and the team in a letter to the Federal Trade Commission. The attorneys general of the District of Columbia, Democrat Carl A. Racine, and of Virginia, Republican Jason S. Miyares, said they would investigate. The team has denied any financial wrongdoing.

Republicans on the committee criticized the Democratic-led investigation into Snyder, the team and the NFL, saying the panel should focus on issues of greater national importance. They said they would drop the issue if they took over the commission in January based on the results of the midterm elections in November.

The NFL has commissioned an ongoing investigation into the latest allegations against Snyder. This probe is under the supervision of Mary Jo White, former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. After a previous investigation by attorney Beth Wilkinson, the NFL announced last July that the team had been fined $10 million and that Snyder’s wife, Tanya, the team’s co-CEO, would take over the day-to-day operations of the franchise indefinitely. The league said White’s report, unlike Wilkinson’s, would be released to the public.

Several NFL owners said in May that they would support a significant suspension of Daniel Snyder if allegations of sexual misconduct and financial improprieties against him and the team are proven. They said no meaningful steps have been taken at this point to push to remove Snyder from ownership of his franchise. Connolly said Tuesday he hopes that changes.

“There has to be accountability,” Connolly said. “There has to be a complete culture change. And frankly – I’ll be honest – I think that means a change of ownership.”