The Commanders and their embattled owner, Dan Snyder, are at the center of yet another controversy.
The U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia has opened a criminal investigation into the Washington organization over allegations it engaged in financial improprieties, according to an ESPN report. The inquiry was launched after the House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission and several attorneys general in April, per the report.
The revelation of the investigation came on the same day Snyder and his wife, Tanya, announced they have hired Bank of America Securities “to consider potential transactions” for the franchise.
A spokesperson for the Commanders had no comment on the potential criminal investigation and instead provided ESPN a statement from the team’s attorney, John Brownlee of Holland & Knight, who denied any wrongdoing.
“It is not surprising that ESPN is publishing more falsehoods based solely on anonymous sources — given today’s announcement,” the statement to ESPN said. “… We are confident that, after these agencies have had a chance to review the documents and complete their work, they will come to the same conclusion as the team’s internal review — that these allegations are simply untrue.”
The NFL declined comment, with spokesperson Brian McCarthy telling the outlet only that the league has engaged former Securities and Exchange Commission chair Mary Jo White to look into the matter and that the review is “ongoing.”
White is leading the league’s second investigation into alleged sexual misconduct within Snyder’s organization. That includes Snyder’s alleged sexual assault of a woman on his plane in April 2009. The first investigation resulted in a $10 million fine and Snyder being suspended.
Meanwhile, the 57-year-old Snyder and his wife have taken the first step toward potentially selling the team, which he has owned since 1999. Whether Snyder is considering selling all or just part of the franchise is unclear; a team spokesperson told the Associated Press that they were “exploring all options.”
Since changing the team’s name from the derogatory Redskins moniker after years of protests from Native American groups and others, franchise revenue has increased sharply, per a report by Forbes. Snyder also bought out minority stakeholders in 2021 to gain full control of the team.
Snyder could get a huge payout if he were to go forward with the sale, and this step of hiring Bank of America feels like a significant move in that direction.
It’s also just the latest in a long line of controversies involving Snyder and the Commanders.
In addition to the alleged sexual misconduct and alleged sexual assault, last month a bombshell ESPN report alleged that Snyder has been digging up dirt on fellow NFL owners in a desperate attempt to keep control of the franchise. Snyder denied the allegations, calling them “false” and “malicious.”
— Additional reporting by Jeremy Layton