Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder issued a denial Thursday after a new round of allegations about workplace misconduct within the organization directly implicated him.
During a congressional hearing Thursday, former cheerleader and marketing manager Tiffani Johnston accused Snyder of inappropriate behavior. Johnston said Snyder placed his hand on “the middle of my thigh until I physically removed it” one time and pushing her toward his limousine another.
Johnston and five other former Washington staffers disclosed the accusations at a House Committee on Oversight and Reform roundtable.
Snyder issued a statement later Thursday denying the direct implication.
“While past conduct at the Team was unacceptable, the allegations leveled against me personally in today’s roundtable — many of which are well over 13 years old — are outright lies,” Snyder said. “I unequivocally deny having participated in any such conduct, at any time and with respect to any person. Tanya (Snyder) and I will not be distracted by those with a contrary agenda from continuing with the positive personnel and cultural changes that have been made at the Team over the past 18 months, and those that we continue to make both on and off the field.”
Johnston said the limo incident with Snyder took place with one of his attorneys also present.
“The only reason Dan Snyder removed his hand from my back and stopped pushing me towards his limo was because his attorney intervened and said, ‘Dan, Dan, this is a bad idea.’ … I learned that I should remove myself from Dan’s grip while his attorney was distracting him,” Johnston said.
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, (D-Ill.) hosted the roundtable and were joined by former team staffers Emily Applegate, Brad Baker, Melanie Coburn, Rachel Engleson and Ana Nunez in addition to Johnston.
The committee continues to pressure the NFL to release its full report regarding misconduct within the organization. While the league finished its investigation seven months ago resulting in a $10 million fine for Snyder, it has declined to release a report.
Snyder was also forced to temporarily cede day-to-day operations to his wife Tanya, co-CEO of the team.
“When the investigation of the air pressure of Tom Brady’s football concludes with a 200-plus-page report, but the investigation into two decades of sexual harassment concludes with nothing, it shows the NFL’s complete lack of respect towards women, their employees and for the culture of our country,” said Applegate, a former marketing coordinator.
–Field Level Media
