Washington owner Dan Snyder tried to block interview with former employee who accused him of sexual misconduct

Washington Soccer Team owner Dan Snyder tried to stop a woman who accused him of sexual misconduct from speaking to DC attorney Beth Wilkinson as part of her investigation into the matter. franchise last year, Washington Post reported Tuesday.

The Post reported that Wilkinson became aware of the 2009 allegation shortly after she began her investigation. According to the Post, when Wilkinson tried to interview former team employees, Snyder’s attorneys worked to prevent that from happening.

Last December, reported articles that the group reached a $1.6 million settlement with the woman, who threatened to sue the Washington owner. The woman said the sexual misconduct took place on Snyder’s private jet. The settlement did not detail the allegations, and neither Snyder nor the team admitted any wrongdoing.

In Tuesday’s story, the Post reported that Snyder’s lawyers offered the woman more money to maintain her silence. The woman’s attorney, according to the Post, wrote a letter to Snyder’s attorneys that was filed in federal court about an attempt to prevent Wilkinson from speaking to her.

The Post, citing a review of court records and interviews with dozens of people associated with the Washington Soccer Team or the NFL, reported that Snyder had hired private investigators who were caught by potential witnesses. considered an attempt to interfere with the NFL’s investigation.

A.Scott Bolden of the law firm Reed Smith, which represents Snyder and the group, issued a statement in response to the Post’s story, saying: “It’s not true. It didn’t happen. Me or any law Reed Smith’s attorney makes absolutely no effort to dissuade anyone from speaking to Beth Wilkinson or cooperating with her investigation, nor giving any money to anyone who does not cooperate. . Anyone who proposes to the contrary is lying.”

Meanwhile, the latest revelations have prompted two members of Congress – who have demanded that the NFL be transparent about the investigation into sexual harassment and other improper conduct within the Washington organization – now demand The federation provided evidence of Snyder’s interference in the investigation. .

Representative Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat who chairs the House Oversight Committee, and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat who chairs the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy users, made the latest request on Tuesday.

“While Mr Snyder has publicly stated that he wants independent investigators to find out the truth, today’s report shows that he is trying to thwart the efforts of the very investigator he hired in the investigation. efforts to conceal damaging information”, Maloney said in a statement. “These disturbing revelations only reinforce the Commission’s commitment to uncovering the truth in this matter.”

Krishnamoorthi said: “Snyder won’t stop at zero. To get to the bottom of this story, [the] The NFL must immediately turn over all evidence of Snyder’s interference and other documents that we requested more than a month ago. ”

Wilkinson did not submit a written report to the NFL following her nearly year-long investigation into the Washington Soccer Team’s workplace culture. Her report was released on July 1. The organization was fined $10 million by the NFL.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.