“In the face of public outrage over detailed and widespread allegations of sexual misconduct and a persistently hostile work environment at the team, Defendants have released a series of public statements, urging consumers in the district to take advantage of this feature. Incompetent and misogynistic behavior is curtailed and we have satisfied them that they are cooperating fully with an independent investigation,” the lawsuit states. “These statements are false and calculated to mislead consumers, so they continue to support the team financially without thinking they endorse such wrongdoing.”
The suit was filed in the Civil Division of the DC Superior Court. It alleges that the team and league violated the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Act by “public misrepresentation, omission and ambiguity of material facts.” Racine’s office said, “The Commander, Mr. Snyder, the NFL and Commissioner Goodell are seeking financial penalties under the CPPA for all incidents in which he lied to residents of the district dating back to July 2020. “It could be millions,” the defendant added. fine dollar. ”
Racine’s office also plans to seek a court order compelling the NFL to release the results of previous investigations conducted by attorney Beth Wilkinson to the team’s workplace.
“OAG’s exhaustive investigation reveals that the commander, the NFL, and their executives Mr. Snyder and Commissioner Goodell worked to prevent district residents from learning the truth and continuing to make a profit. “They have publicly committed to cooperating fully with an independent investigation into toxic work environments and sexual harassment within the Commanders organization, promising results that fans can trust. , Mr. Snyder had waged an interference campaign to cover up years of harassment. I betrayed him and made him do it.”
Racine “seems more interested in making flashy headlines based on outlandish legal theories than doing the hard work of making the streets safe,” the commandant said in a statement Wednesday, referring to Washington. The team’s rookie running back. Later in the evening, Commanders his president Jason Wright said in his statement that the team should have kept the two issues separate.
The action comes as Racine prepares to resign and is the result of an investigation launched in the fall of 2021. Snyder and the commander are also being investigated by the NFL, the House Oversight Reform Committee, and the Office of Jason S. Myares.(R), Virginia Attorney General.
Additionally, investigators with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia interviewed witnesses about allegations of financial fraud involving the team, according to people familiar with the matter. did.
Racine’s office has no criminal enforcement powers in this matter.
Racine said his office “interviewed numerous witnesses, including former Commandant employees who experienced and witnessed the harassment,” and “thousands of documents, including emails, made by the Commandant and the NFL.” We reviewed internal documents.”
The lawsuit seeks to “deal with Washington Commander, Snyder, the NFL, and Commissioner Goodell for public statements, ambiguities, and omissions that tend to mislead district consumers in the form of injunctive relief, civil penalties, and reparations.” We demand accountability,” he said.
Goodell and the league say they did not release the Wilkinson investigation results because they promised witness confidentiality.The NFL will fine the team $10 million in July 2021 based on those findings. Snyder’s wife, Tanya Snyder, co-CEO of the franchise, will oversee Commander’s day-to-day operations for an unspecified period of time.
The NFL and Goodell said the results of an investigation currently underway by attorney Mary Jo White will be made public.
A statement Wednesday from a Commanders spokesperson said: Despite the uncontrollable violent crimes in D.C., Commander Washington learned today on Twitter for the first time that the D.C. Attorney General will hold a press conference tomorrow to make a “significant announcement” related to the organization. ”
The statement caught the attention of Robinson’s agent, Athlete First’s Ryan Williams, who wrote on Twitter Wednesday night: And I was so grateful for all of that. I know there are some great people in that building, but whoever is hiding behind this statement is not one of them. ”
The commander responded with a statement from Wright, saying the team’s attorney had “legitimate grievances” against Racine.
DC police have arrested two teenage suspects, aged 17 and then 15, in connection with an attempted robbery on August 28 in the H Street business district in northeastern Washington. A 17-year-old boy has been charged with assault for the purpose of robbery while armed. His 15-year-old boy, who was 14 at the time of the incident, has been charged with armed robbery. Police said Friday they are looking for a third suspect in him who kicked two of his teenagers out of the attack.
A spokesperson for the team said in an earlier statement on Wednesday, “The commander has cooperated fully with the AG’s investigation for nearly a year.” The Secretary has suggested that he does not intend to take any action at that time, and in fact has revealed a fundamental misunderstanding of a fundamental fact. Days seem more interested in making flashy headlines based on outlandish legal theories than doing the hard work of making the streets safe for citizens, including judging people. I shot one of our players.”
Because DC is not a state, adult felony prosecutions in the city are handled by U.S. judicial authorities, not by the Attorney General.
Racine announced last year that he would not seek a third term. DC attorney Brian Schwalb was elected as his successor on Tuesday. With Racine’s endorsement, Schwalb won the race for the Democratic nomination in June and was unopposed in Tuesday’s election. The firm has over 700 attorneys and staff, and through criminal and civil channels he is responsible for enforcing DC law.
As the district’s first-elected Attorney General, Racine’s tenure has been marked by lawsuits and lawsuits, both large and small, within the limited confines of his office. Locally, Racine focuses on tenant and consumer protection, chasing down negligent landlords and rogue traders.
But he also has a bigger swing. In recent years, he has filed lawsuits against Facebook, Amazon, DC’s Rome His Catholic Clergy, and President Donald Trump. He filed a federal lawsuit against the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers in the wake of his Jan. 6 riots, and most recently partnered with the Attorneys General of California and Illinois to file a Safeway-owned grocery store. He in the chain blocked the Albertsons from paying his $4 billion to shareholders. He proposed a merger with grocery store Kroger.
Attorneys Lisa Banks and Debra Katz, who represent more than 40 former team employees, said in a statement Wednesday: The lies designed to cover up the team’s decades of sexual harassment and abuse affected not only victims of that abuse, but also consumers in the District of Columbia. , examines the experiences of the brave women and men who have come forward to share their experiences, and is also an important step in achieving for the first time some level of transparency about the extent of wrongdoing. ”
The NFL did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Commanders announced last week that Daniel and Tanya Snyder have hired an investment bank to “review potential transactions” related to the franchise. It didn’t specify whether it was considering it.
Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications, public relations and policy, said Wednesday that the league was not involved in the Commanders’ sale process at this time and whether Snyder would sell all or part of the franchise. He said he had no expectations of
“I would like to ask the club to contact us regarding a possible transaction,” Miller said on a conference call with reporters. “Of course it’s their decision.”
Among those mentioned as future buyers for the team is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post. Bezos’ potential partner in the tender, music mogul Jay-Z. Matt Ishbia, president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, which previously attempted to buy the Denver Broncos. Media entrepreneur Byron Allen, another Broncos bidder. Actor Matthew McConaughey is exploring the possibility of joining or forming an investment group for the tender, a person familiar with the situation said Monday.
Michael Brice-Saddler and Liz Clarke contributed to this report.
