On Thursday, the NFL hit former Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder with a $60 million fine for sexual harassment and financial misconduct on the same day his $6 billion franchise sale was approved.
Mary Jo White, a former chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, led the investigation.
As per the NFL’s news release, Snyder “will pay $60 million to the league in the resolution of Ms. White’s findings and all outstanding matters.”
According to White’s 23-page report, it was confirmed that Snyder sexually harassed former cheerleader and marketing employee Tiffani Johnston during or after dinner in Washington, D.C., in either 2005 or 2006.
“We spoke to Ms. Johnston several times and found her to be highly credible,” the report read. “Her account of the incident was also corroborated by other witnesses and evidence.”
The report supported claims from former employee Jason Friedman that the Commanders concealed revenue from the NFL during his tenure from 1996 to 2020.
White’s investigation revealed that the Commanders improperly withheld approximately $11 million from the NFL’s revenue-sharing requirements. Additionally, the team concealed further revenue from ticket sales, parking, and licensing fees.
However, the investigation could not conclusively determine Snyder’s personal involvement in concealing this revenue.
“The conduct substantiated in Ms. White’s findings has no place in the NFL,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We strive for workplaces that are safe, respectful, and professional. What Ms. Johnston experienced is inappropriate and contrary to the NFL’s values.”
Snyder’s troubled ownership of the Commanders came to light last year when the NFL fined the team $10 million due to findings from attorney Beth Wilkinson’s investigation, exposing a toxic workplace culture and Snyder’s interference in the process.
Attorneys Lisa J. Banks and Debra S. Katz, representing over 40 former Commanders employees, including Johnston and Friedman, described White’s report as “total vindication” for their clients.
“While today is a day that has been long in coming for our clients – and clearly a day to celebrate their victory – we would be remiss in not asking why, after being repeatedly made aware of the numerous allegations against Mr. Snyder – through our clients’ testimony, the Beth Wilkinson investigation and a Congressional investigation – the NFL and Roger Goodell allowed him to retain ownership, buried the findings of its own investigation and most importantly, helped him hide and avoid accountability,” the attorneys said.
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