NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he has no authority to remove Daniel Snyder as owner of Washington Commanders amid continued control over the organization’s workplace culture and accusations by female employees of widespread sexual harassment by team leaders.
Goodell testified before members of Congress on Wednesday at a hearing by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. At one point, near the end of more than two hours of testimony, Goodell was questioned by spokesman Rashid Tlaib (D-Michigan), who asked if Goodell and the league “wanted to do more” to punish Snyder.
After initially asking if he would recommend removing Snyder as owner of Commanders, Tlibe followed Goodell’s question: “Will you remove him?”
“I have no authority to remove him, Congressman,” Goodell replied.
An NFL owner can be removed by only a three-quarters (so 24 out of 32) majority of other owners, although Goodell has the option to officially recommend such a vote.
Snyder was invited to testify, but declined, citing overseas commitments and concerns about the due process. The chairman of the commission, Carolyn Maloney (New York), announced during the hearing that she planned to issue a summons to force him to testify.
“The NFL does not want or cannot hold Mr Snyder responsible,” Maloney said. “That is why I am now announcing my intention to issue a subpoena for Mr Snyder to testify next week. The Commission will not be hindered in its investigation against the Washington commanders. “
Goodell told the committee that the team’s culture had changed as a result of an investigation by lawyer Beth Wilkinson, and that Snyder was “held accountable.”
After Wilkinson presented his findings to Goodell last year, the NFL fined the team $ 10 million last year and Snyder withdrew from his daily operations. However, the league did not release a written report on Wilkinson’s findings, a decision Goodell said was aimed at protecting the privacy of former employees who spoke to investigators.
Following Wednesday’s hearing, the commanders sent a letter to the team’s staff – a copy of which was received from ESPN – which said in part: “We believe that statements made in the media critical of our organization do not accurately reflect our positive transformation and current a reality of the Washington Commanders’ organization that exists today. “
This report uses information from the Associated Press.
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