The Washington Commanders scandal has continued to evolve over the course of the offseason. Washington scandals have been abundant over the last year and somehow, owner Dan Snyder has been the center of nearly all of them. After sexual harassment allegations, financial improprieties, and numerous volatile emails being released, Snyder’s time as owner in Washington may finally be coming to an end.

Dan Snyder has been on the hot seat for a while

Since Snyder became an owner of the Commanders in 1999, he has made multiple questionable choices. He repeatedly fired coaches over personnel and draft disagreements, leading many to be frustrated with his leadership style. Until 2020, most of Snyder’s downfalls seemed to be manageable and clearly football-oriented. That is, until a Washington Post investigative report surfaced, detailing the true events inside Snyder’s organization.

In 2020, Will Hobson and Liz Clarke interviewed several former female employees of Dan Snyder. They detailed the frequent verbal abuse and sexual harassment they endured as part of their everyday duties. Their openness brought forward more and more victims. Now, there are more than 15 former female employees who have spoken out about the abuse they went through while on staff.

Since the Washington Post article was released, there have been more and more reasons emerging as to why Snyder should be removed from his position. In October of 2021, emails were released detailing explicitly the abuse that Washington’s cheerleaders have also endured during their time with the team. Snyder has paid many of these women for their silence.

The misogyny and mistreatment of women was followed closely by financial misconduct, we learned in 2021. The NFL’s investigation was handed over to Congress as some of Snyder’s actions could be considered unlawful.

Congress spent much time investigating the allegations and found that Snyder’s financial improprieties affected everyone from fans to players to the commissioner himself. It has been revealed that Washington misreported ticket-sale numbers and kept “two sets of books”. One book was the accurate numbers, for Snyder only. The other book housed the falsified numbers sent to the NFL upon request.

The results of Snyder’s actions

Unfortunately for many, Snyder’s actions affected way more than just himself. When he misreports numbers, it demonstrates to the NFL that earnings are down. If earnings are down, the salary cap number isn’t adjusted appropriately. When the salary cap isn’t appropriate, the players don’t get paid what they deserve. I’m sure you can see where this is going.

“This new information on potential financial misconduct suggests that the rot under Dan Snyder’s leadership is much deeper than imagined. It further reinforces the concern that this organization has been allowed to operate with impunity for far too long. This new information suggests that in addition to fostering a hostile workplace culture, Mr. Snyder also may have cheated the team’s fans and the NFL,” said Representative Carolyn Maloney.

On top of the financial burden, he has placed on the NFL, he has also left a permanent impression on the lives of too many women. Women who have been pushed into silence regarding their experiences but will be unable to ever forget them.

Washington Commanders scandal may be nearing an end

For the most part, leaks on the happenings of NFL owners are unheard of. Not often do we hear about what they are doing behind the scenes, which makes the latest news even more shocking. Last week it was reported that owners are starting to “count votes” to get Snyder removed from his position as owner of the Washington Commanders.

It would take two-thirds of NFL owners (24 total) voting to remove Snyder for action to be taken. This will be done behind closed doors, but it seems likely it may have already begun. This latest Washington Commanders’ scandal may be the one that finally does Dan Snyder in.