Commanders being investigated by DC, Virginia attorneys general

Washington Commanders send letter to FTC denying financial impropriety

The NFL’s Washington Commanders denied several allegations of financial impropriety in a letter sent Monday to the U.S Federal Trade Commission.

ASHBURN, Va. - Virginia's attorney general is opening an investigation into the Washington Commanders' alleged financial improprieties.

Attorney General Jason Miyares sent a letter to the team's lawyer today.

Within the letter to the team, Miyares says he views it as his responsibility to "carefully examine the material facts."

D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine also announced that his office has been investigating allegations of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct within the Commanders' organization since the fall of 2021.

Racine's office is looking into the team’s cooperation with, and statements about, the investigation into these allegations, and the team’s ticket sales practices. To date, the office has obtained more than half a million pages of documents from the Commanders and the NFL, and both are still providing more for review.

"The disturbing details of misconduct by the Commanders and Dan Snyder that we’ve seen in extensive public reporting are deeply troubling," Racine said in a statement. "No one should face mistreatment at work and no organization can evade the law. The Commanders’ players and employees, and District residents, deserve a thorough investigation that determines exactly what happened and holds those accountable for any illegal conduct. We encourage those who experienced or witnessed misconduct to contact our office."

Both announcements arrive after members of Congress sent their own letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) saying team executives – including owner Dan Snyder – may have engaged in unlawful financial conduct.

Officials say the Commanders may have intentionally withheld millions of dollars from both fans and the NFL.

Congress asks FTC to investigate Commanders' financial issues

A congressional committee released a document alleging that the Commanders held back $5 million dollars in refundable deposits from thousands of FedEX season ticket holders.

The Commanders responded with its own 105-page letter to the FTC denying those claims.

The team added that the House's Oversight Committee didn't request any documents from the Commanders, or ask any questions, before going to the FTC.

Virginia's investigation will be led by Deputy Attorney General of the Civil Division, Steven Popps.