Thursday afternoon, the National Football League announced the sale of the Washington Commanders to an ownership group led by Josh Harris for $6.05 billion dollars. The NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, issued the following statement:
“Congratulations to Josh Harris and his impressive group of partners. Josh will be a great addition to the NFL. He has a remarkable record in business, sports, and in his communities. The diverse group that Josh has put together is outstanding for its business acumen and strong Washington ties and we welcome them to the NFL as well.
I met Josh several years ago, prior to his acquisition of an interest in the Steelers and have been fortunate to get to know him better over the past few months. I know he has a commitment to winning on the field, but also to running an organization that everyone will be proud of — and to making positive contributions in the community.”
Oddly enough, the Commanders under Snyder’s stewardship was rife with scandal. An investigation by U.S. Attorney and SEC Chair Mary Jo White found misconduct and financial improprieties while Snyder was owner of the Washington Commanders.
On February 3, 2022, Tiffani Johnston, a former Washington Commanders cheerleader and marketing employee, testified on two topics at a roundtable held by the House Oversight Committee investigating allegations related to the “workplace culture” at the Commanders. She testified about an incident involving a former senior executive who, at the direction of Mr. Snyder, improperly obtained an unedited photo of Ms. Johnston that inadvertently revealed her “personal areas” in order to look at the photo.
White and her colleagues conducted a comprehensive and independent investigation over 17 months that included interviews with dozens of witnesses, sometimes on multiple occasions, a review of over 10,000 documents, and assistance from a team of forensic accountants. The Commanders failed to disclose $11 million in revenue that should have been shared with other teams.
As a a result of the sale, Snyder was ordered to pay $60 million in restitution to resolve all legal matters including sexual harassment.
“We appreciate the diligence, thoroughness and professionalism of Ms. White and her team throughout this process,” said Commissioner Goodell. “We pledged to share her findings publicly and are doing so today.”
In the 24 seasons Snyder owned the Commanders, the team only won two playoff games and had 27 different starting quarterbacks.