Oct 2, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder (L) and president Jason Wright  (R) pose for a photo before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Report: Commanders’ success is ‘killing’ ex-owner Dan Snyder

Growing up in Maryland, Dan Snyder loved the Washington NFL team. His passion for the club only grew when his father scraped together the cash to buy tickets to take his young son to a game.

That’s according to an ESPN report on Saturday, which chronicles the life of Snyder since he was forced by his fellow NFL owners to sell his beloved Commanders.

Since that sale was completed before the 2023 NFL season, Snyder and his wife have abandoned their life on the East Coast, moving to London. They are divesting themselves of their megamansion properties in the D.C. area, donating one to charity and trying to sell another, in favor of living on their yacht or in a hotel as they await renovations being done on their future home in London.

The Commanders, now owned by a group put together by Josh Harris and his Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, will play Sunday in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, seeking their first Super Bowl berth since after the 1991 season — a game Washington never reached under Snyder’s stewardship.

It’s a good bet Snyder won’t be watching rookie sensation Jayden Daniels and the Commanders from across the pond.

“He f—ing hates it,” ESPN reported a Snyder colleague saying of the Commanders’ success under a new off-field and on-field regime.

Snyder sold the team for a record $6.05 billion, minus a $60 million fine assessed by the NFL for a variety of improprieties that included instigating sexual harassment, running a toxic workplace and withholding revenue from the league.

Now 60, Snyder bought the team in 1999 for $800 million. He and his representatives declined to speak to ESPN for the story.

In the end of his regime, he was forced by fellow owners to list the team for sale, and he thought the $6 billion pricetag he attached would be out of reach for prospective buyers. Then, Harris showed up, and he and his partners were able to piece together the money.

But he tried to get a reprieve and cancel the deal at the last hour before its closing on July 20, 2023. Per ESPN, Snyder refused to hand over his bank account number for a transfer of funds to complete the sale before he finally relented. His confidantes until the end included Super Bowl-winning coach Joe Gibbs, a longtime ally, who finally convinced Snyder that letting the sale go through was for the good of the team and the fans.

“We don’t get the Commanders if not for Joe Gibbs,” said Tad Brown, the CEO of the Harris group, per ESPN.

Snyder’s business dealings with the Commanders remain under investigation in the United States. Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue recently called Snyder “the worst owner in the history of the National Football League,” per ESPN.

Snyder has registered an investment firm in England and is conducting business from there. Rumors reportedly persist that he is looking to buy an English Premier League team — something one ESPN source shot down.

“He isn’t a fan of other sports,” the source said. “He’s a fan of the [Commanders]. That was the biggest thing.”

Another source said Snyder still his “in denial” about that everything that led up to his departure from the NFL ownership ranks.

“Sadness — for himself,” the source said of Snyder’s attitude. “It’s killing him. … It’s devastating for him.”

–Field Level Media

Feb 2, 2022; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Commanders co-owner Dan Snyder speaks as co-owner Tanya Snyder (L) listens during a press conference revealing the Commanders as the new name for the formerly named Washington Football Team at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Snyder to pay $60 million in wake of Mary Jo White findings

Dan Snyder will pay the NFL $60 million in fines after an investigation by Mary Jo White found he was complicit in both sexual misconduct and financial improprieties during his time as owner of the Washington Commanders.

The findings of White’s investigation, which began in February 2022, were released Thursday afternoon shortly after NFL team owners approved the $6.05 billion sale of the Commanders to billionaire Josh Harris with a unanimous 32-0 vote.

“We appreciate the diligence, thoroughness and professionalism of Ms. White and her team throughout this process,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We pledged to share her findings publicly and are doing so today.”

White, the former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, found evidence that Snyder sexually harassed a former Commanders team employee, Tiffani Johnston. The former cheerleader and marketing manager testified to Congress last year that Snyder put his hand on her thigh and pushed her toward his limo at a work-related dinner.

The league expanded the scope of White’s investigation beyond harassment and workplace culture to financial improprieties in April 2022. A former sales executive for Washington, Jason Friedman, told Congress that Snyder had the team withhold its true amount of shareable revenue meant to be split with other teams.

White’s investigation found that $11 million in revenue was “improperly shielded” from other teams and a “significant portion” of another $44 million in revenue was illicitly moved from shareable to non-shareable accounts.

White’s team interviewed Snyder remotely on June 29 after the unpopular team owner previously declined to be interviewed, the Washington Post reported.

White delivered her findings to team owners Thursday at a hotel in Bloomington, Minn., where the owners met to vote in Harris.

The principal owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils led an investment group that bought the Commanders for a record $6.05 billion.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders helmet on the field before the game against the Cleveland Browns at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Vote on Commanders sale not on owners’ upcoming agenda

NFL owners will not vote on the sale of the Washington Commanders when they meet next week in Minneapolis.

Jeff Miller, the league’s vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, said the league still is reviewing the details of the $6.05 billion purchase by Josh Harris and partners from Dan and Tanya Snyder.

Instead, NFL owners will be updated about where the team sale stands.

“There is work that goes into that, and staff is doing that now,” Miller told reporters on a conference call.

Miller didn’t offer a timeline for a vote, other than to say the process was taking place “expeditiously.”

Last week, the Snyders entered into the purchase agreement with Harris, who owns the New Jersey Devils of the NHL and the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA.

Once the transaction is completed, it will set a record for the highest price ever paid for a North American sports franchise.

–Field Level Media

Feb 15, 2022; Camden, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris looks on as James Harden speaks with the media during a press conference at Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Snyder, Josh Harris enter agreement for sale of Commanders

The long-awaited sale of the Washington Commanders finally is at hand.

Though the transaction is not yet complete, owners Dan and Tanya Snyder “have entered into a purchase and sale agreement” to sell the Commanders to a group led by hedge fund manager Josh Harris, the parties jointly announced Friday.

The reported price tag of $6.05 billion would break the record for the most expensive team purchase in North American sports.

“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement for the sale of the Commanders franchise with Josh Harris, an area native, and his impressive group of partners,” the Snyders said in a statement. “We look forward to the prompt completion of this transaction and to rooting for Josh and the team in the coming years.”

The sale will mark the end of Snyder’s tumultuous and controversial time owning the franchise, which was once considered one of the jewels of the NFL.

ESPN reported earlier Friday that as a condition of sale, Snyder wanted assurances from the league that a full investigative report into his activities as owner would not be made public. It was not immediately clear whether that was agreed upon.

Attorney Mary Jo White conducted an investigation into allegations of both sexual misconduct and financial improprieties under Snyder’s watch, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has publicly vowed the report would be made public.

This is the second recent major investigation into Snyder. Only limited portions of the investigative report overseen by attorney Beth Wilkerson were released in July 2021, at which time Snyder was fined $10 million and forced to cede day-to-day control of the team to his wife, Tanya.

While Snyder owned the team, it underwent two name changes — from “Washington Redskins,” using a term widely regarded as a slur toward Native Americans, to “Washington Football Team” to the Commanders, despite Snyder vowing in 2013 that he would never change its name.

The franchise went 164-220-2 and won two playoff games in six berths during Snyder’s ownership. Now, it is set tol begin a new era under Harris, whose Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils.

The investment group reportedly includes D.C.-area billionaire Mitchell Rales, Colombian financier Alejandro Santo Domingo and Basketball Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder on the field before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Josh Harris’ deal to buy Commanders sent to NFL for approval

Dan Snyder appears to be one step closer to heading out the NFL’s exit door.

The league has reportedly received the terms of a proposed $6 billion sale of Snyder’s Washington Commanders to a group headed by Josh Harris, a hedge fund manager who is majority owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and co-owner of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.

If approved, the $6 billion price tag will set an NFL record for the most expensive sale in the league’s history, topping last year’s record-setting $4.65 billion sale of the Denver Broncos to the Walton-Penner group.

The next step is for the NFL to either send the deal back to Snyder and Harris with alterations, or accept it as is, returning it to the parties for final changes and signatures.

Once the league approves the terms, any sale would still have to be approved by three-quarters of NFL owners. A vote for final approval could take place in May at a scheduled spring meeting of all NFL owners.

Harris, 58, is familiar to NFL owners, having also bid to buy the Broncos last year.

His group in the Commanders bid reportedly includes Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and D.C.-area billionaire Mitchell Rales.

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder on the field before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Snyder hires bank to help sell Commanders

Dan and Tanya Snyder have hired BofA Securities to help with a potential sale of the Washington Commanders.

“The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing the work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL,” the team announced in a brief statement Wednesday.

According to a report Wednesday from Forbes.com, Snyder has already received “at least four calls” from parties interested in purchasing the team.

Snyder is said to be exploring all options, including selling the entire franchise or a minority stake.

A team spokesman told multiple media outlets: “We are exploring all options.”

In August, Forbes valued the Commanders at $5.6 billion, sixth among the NFL’s 32 teams. Snyder also owns FedEx Field and the 264-acre property that surrounds it, plus the 150-acre team headquarters in Ashburn, Va.

Sponsorship revenue has increased by 40 percent this season over 2021 since the team rebranded from the Washington Football Team to the Commanders, according to Forbes.

BofA Securities, previously known as Bank of America Merrill Lynch, provides services in mergers and acquisitions.

“We understand the challenges our clients face around the world,” reads the company’s website. “We combine local knowledge and global perspective to tailor solutions to meet clients’ goals.”

The bank handled Steve Ballmer’s 2014 purchase of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Snyder, 57, bought the team, then known as the Washington Redskins, in 1999.

Snyder’s wife, Tanya, has been in charge of day-to-day operations since July 2021 when the NFL fined the team $10 million for fostering a toxic workplace culture.

–Field Level Media

Jan 2, 2020; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Redskins head coach Ron Rivera looks on as owner Daniel Snyder speaks during his introductory press conference at Inova Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Daniel Snyder testifies for more than 10 hours before House committee

Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder spent more than 10 hours under oath before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Thursday in regard to the committee’s investigation into the team’s workplace culture.

Snyder participated remotely and gave a voluntary deposition rather than accept service of a subpoena. The testimony came after several weeks of tense back-and-forth between the parties and negotiation over the parameters of the interview.

Reports said the proceedings lasted from 8 a.m. ET to around 6:30 p.m. A transcript was not released as of Thursday evening.

“Despite the investigation’s conclusion last month — marked by proposed legislation and a summary of findings — Mr. Snyder fully addressed all questions about workplace misconduct, described the Commanders’ dramatic two-year transformation and expressed hope for the organization’s bright future,” Snyder’s spokesperson said in a statement.

Before the hearing, a spokesperson for the committee said in a statement that Snyder committed to answer questions about “his knowledge of and contributions to the Commanders’ toxic work environment, as well as his efforts to interfere with the NFL’s internal investigation.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell testified before the committee last month, but Snyder at the time declined an invitation to testify, citing business overseas. His lawyer also said he planned to spend “much of July” and “into August” in Israel to observe the one-year anniversary of his mother’s death.

Committee chair Carolyn Maloney (D-New York) subpoenaed Snyder, and the committee later accused Snyder of attempting to evade service of the subpoena. Snyder, 57, offered dates he could participate remotely and the sides eventually agreed to Thursday.

Media reports have detailed allegations of sexual misconduct from 15 female ex-employees, including multiple accusations of sexual harassment against Snyder in particular. While those women have spoken out publicly, at least 50 ex-employees reportedly have complained about the workplace culture.

Oversight and Reform also said Snyder conducted a “shadow investigation” that aimed to discredit those alleging he oversaw a toxic workplace culture in Washington. The committee issued a memo last month supported by more than 600 pages of depositions, which found that Snyder hired private investigators to intimidate witnesses.

Snyder is at the center of multiple controversies. In addition to the House committee inquiry, the Virginia attorney general said in April that he was launching an investigation into allegations regarding the team’s business practices.

Oversight and Reform obtained evidence that Snyder had team executives illegally withhold refundable security deposits from ticket holders and kept two sets of books to hide revenue from the NFL in order to contribute less to the revenue-sharing pool.

–Field Level Media

Feb 2, 2022; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Commanders co-owner Dan Snyder speaks as co-owner Tanya Snyder (L) listens during a press conference revealing the Commanders as the new name for the formerly named Washington Football Team at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Report: NFL owners ‘counting votes’ on Dan Snyder ouster

The string of negative headlines surrounding the Washington Commanders and their owner Dan Snyder is having a cumulative effect on Snyder’s standing with other NFL owners, USA Today reported.

“There’s growing frustration about the Washington situation and not over one issue, but over how much smoke there is,” an unnamed owner told the newspaper in Saturday’s report. “I think everybody’s getting tired of it.”

In February the NFL hired former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White to conduct an investigation into more allegations against Snyder after the franchise had previously hired Beth Wilkinson to conduct a review of allegations of a culture of sexual harassment in the workplace.

Wilkinson’s findings were never released to the public, though the NFL has announced that White will issue a public report.

Also in February, a House Oversight Committee roundtable convened where six former team employees testified about Washington’s misogynistic workplace culture.

Shortly after that, multiple reports surfaced that revealed Congress was investigating whether Snyder’s Washington franchise had withheld money that should have gone into league revenue sharing.

It would take 24 votes to oust Snyder, and according to a different owner, those votes are currently being assessed behind closed doors.

“If (the revenue-sharing improprieties) happened, I think that’s the nail in the coffin,” the second owner said. “We are counting votes.”

–Field Level Media

Feb 2, 2022; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Commanders co-owner Dan Snyder speaks as co-owner Tanya Snyder (L) listens during a press conference revealing the Commanders as the new name for the formerly named Washington Football Team at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Former U.S. Attorney to investigate Dan Snyder, release findings

The NFL hired former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White to conduct its investigation into the latest allegations made against Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder.

Crucially, the NFL said it will release a written report to the public. When the franchise hired lawyer Beth Wilkinson in 2020 to investigate initial allegations of a culture of sexual harassment in its workplace, her complete findings were never released.

White previously worked with the NFL to investigate sexual and racial harassment allegations against Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, who eventually sold the team in 2018.

In a House Oversight Committee roundtable earlier this month, six former team employees testified about Washington’s misogynistic workplace culture. Among the most explosive new allegations came from Tiffani Johnston, a former marketing coordinator and cheerleader who said Snyder placed his hand on her thigh during a work dinner in 2006 and later tried to push her into a limousine outside the restaurant.

Johnston also claimed that Snyder demanded a photo of her in lingerie taken for a promotional calendar be sent to him before it was edited or altered for the calendar.

Snyder has denied the new allegations, while saying previous claims had already been investigated.

In a release Friday, though, the teams says it welcomes the investigation.

“The Washington Commanders are pleased that the NFL has appointed Mary Jo White to look into the recent allegations made by Tiffani Johnson. The Commanders have always been intent on having a full and fair investigation of this matter conducted, and to releasing the results of that investigation. Given the Team’s confidence in Ms. White’s ability to conduct such a full and fair investigation, the Commanders will not separately pursue an investigation, and will cooperage fully with Ms. White.”

Some of the witnesses who spoke out earlier this month placed blame on the NFL for not punishing Snyder and the Commanders more following the Wilkinson investigation. In 2021, the team was fined $10 million, and Snyder was forced to cede — temporarily — day-to-day operational control of the team.

“The NFL is now complicit in this scandal,” Washington’s director of marketing Melanie Coburn told Congress. “Ten months, more than 120 witnesses and nothing. Roger Goodell’s claim that he was trying to protect us is outrageous and cowardly. The public optics of him caring is appalling. Goodell betrayed every woman who suffered harassment and abuse at the Washington Football Team.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 9, 2021; Landover, Maryland, USA; General view of FedEx Field before the game between the Washington Football Team and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Arlette Snyder, minority owner of Washington Football Team, dies

The mother of Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder has passed away, the team said Monday in a statement.

The statement did not provide date or cause of death for Arlette Snyder, who owned 6.5 percent of the franchise.

“Mrs. Snyder was a kind, gentle and generous woman who was loved and greatly admired by all who knew her,” the statement read, in part. “She will be deeply missed and forever in our hearts. The Snyder family requests that their privacy be respected as they grieve the passing of their mother and grandmother.”

Dan Snyder has been the majority owner of the team since 1999. Earlier this year, he bought the approximately 40 percent share of the team’s minority owners, giving his family full ownership of the franchise for the first time.

His sister, Michelle, owns 12.6 percent.

Dan Snyder’s wife, Tanya Snyder, currently is in charge of the team’s day-to-day operations in her new capacity as co-CEO. On July 1, the NFL fined Washington $10 million as a result of the independent workplace review into the franchise’s culture

–Field Level Media