Earlier this month, several former team employees spoke to Congress regarding allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by Snyder and others within the organization, Newsweek reported. One of the most serious allegations came from Tiffani Johnston, a former cheerleader and marketing manager for the team, who said Snyder “strategically” assigned her a seat next to his at a company function and placed his hand on “the middle of my thigh until I physically removed it.” She also said that after the function ended, Snyder “aggressively” pushed her toward his limo until one of his attorneys stopped him.
In the following days, Snyder denied the allegations, and the team announced plans to hire a law firm to conduct an investigation into the accusations. Hours later, the NFL said it would be handling the investigation, as Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week that he didn’t see a logical way that the team could investigate itself.
White’s findings will be released to the public in a written report upon the conclusion of her investigation, according to the Associated Press.
Following White’s investigation, Goodell will reportedly determine whether any additional punishment should be levied against Snyder or the Commanders. He said in his annual pre-Super Bowl news conference last week that he believes it’s within NFL owner bylaws for the other owners to vote Snyder out, forcing him to sell his stake in the Commanders.
Last year, Snyder was fined $10 million upon the conclusion of a separate investigation into allegations of widespread sexual harassment and other mistreatment of female employees across the Washington organization. Snyder was also forced to temporarily relinquish control of the team to his wife, Tanya, the AP reported.
The findings of that investigation have remained private, with significant pressure on the league from the public and lawmakers to release the report. Goodell has maintained that the report should remain private to protect the identities of current and former female employees who spoke to the league’s investigators about their experiences with Snyder and the organization, the AP added.
Previously, White led the NFL’s investigation into workplace misconduct allegations surrounding former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, who was fined $2.75 million and later sold the team following the release of that report, Judy Battista of NFL.com tweeted. White also conducted the investigation into the New Orleans Saints over the “Bountygate” scandal that alleged coaches paid bonuses to defensive players who injured key players on opposing teams, CBS Sports reported.
Update 2/18/22, 6:55 p.m. EST: This story has been updated with additional information and context.