The NFL will look into sexual assault allegations against Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder instead of the team, a league spokesman said Wednesday after Snyder’s club had announced its own investigation.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league, not the team owned by Snyder, will direct the probe just hours after the Commanders said the team had hired “independent” investigators to look into the matter.
Claims of sexual harassment were made by Tiffani Johnston, a former employee of the NFL club, against Snyder at a Congressional hearing last week. Snyder denied the allegations.
The Commanders said the allegations would be investigated by Pallas Global Group LLC, with Los Angeles attorney Debra Wong Yang selcted to lead the investigation, with her findings to be made public.
“The team is committed to a thorough and independent investigation of Ms. Johnston’s allegation and pledges full cooperation with the investigation,” a statement said.
But in a statement to the NFL Network, Mccarthy made it clear it will be the league, not Snyder’s own club, that runs the inquiry into the matter.
“Last week, the league stated that we will review and consider Ms. Johnston’s allegations as we would any others regarding workplace conduct at the Washington Commanders,” the statement said.
“The league, not the team, will conduct an independent investigation and will be retaining an investigator to determine the facts shortly.”
Johnston told lawmakers that Snyder touched her thigh under a table at a business dinner in Washington in either 2005 or 2006 and pushed her toward his limo after the dinner before an attorney for Snyder intervened.
Congressional officials released documents last week provided by the NFL that indicated the league might not be able to release the findings of its investigation into various allegations against Snyder by former female employees of the team without permission of the Commanders, meaning Snyder could keep the findings private.
The NFL has not released the findings of the earlier probe, saying the report was delivered verbally. The league and Commanders have said they have provided all documents requested that do not violate attorney-client privilege.