The House Committee on Oversight and Reform released its final report on its investigation into the National Football League's handling of accusations against the Washington Commanders in a news release on behalf of Committee chairwoman, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, and Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy chairman, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, shared on Thursday (December 8).

The Committee said its investigation confirmed that incidents of "sexual harassment, bullying and other toxic conduct pervaded the Commanders workplace, perpetuated by a culture of fear instilled by" team owner Dan Snyder, who "permitted and participated in the workplace misconduct" which included engaging "in tactics used to intimidate, surveil, and pay off victims."

Additionally, the Committee accused the NFL of aligning "its legal interests with the Commanders" and failing "to curtail these abusive tactics" and burying "the investigation's findings," according to the news release.

“Today’s report reflects the damning findings of the Committee’s year-long investigation and shows how one of the most powerful organizations in America, the NFL, mishandled pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct at the Washington Commanders,” said Chairwoman Maloney. “Our report tells the story of a team rife with sexual harassment and misconduct, a billionaire owner intent on deflecting blame, and an influential organization that chose to cover this up rather than seek accountability and stand up for employees.

"To powerful industries across the country, this report should serve as a wake-up call that the time of covering up misconduct to protect powerful executives is over. To my congressional colleagues, I hope this report is a call to action to protect workers across the country from harassment and intimidation, including by passing the legislation I introduced in June, the Accountability for Workplace Misconduct Act and Professional Images Protection Act.”

John Brownlee and Stuart Nash, the counsel for the Washington Commanders, issued the following statement in relation to the Oversight Committee's final report:

"These Congressional investigators demonstrated, almost immediately, that they were not interested in the truth, and were only interested in chasing headlines by pursuing one side of the story. Today's report is the predictable culmination of that one-sided approach.

"There are no new revelations here. The Committee persists in criticizing Mr. Snyder for declining to voluntarily appear at the Committee's hearing last spring, notwithstanding Mr. Snyder's agreement to sit, at a date chosen by the Committee, for an unprecedented 11-hours of questioning under oath. The only two members of Congress who witnessed any part of that deposition, one Democrat and one Republican, both made public statements in the wake of the deposition characterizing Mr. Snyder's answers as truthful, cooperative, and candid. As is typical of the Committee, they have refused, despite our repeated requests to release the full transcript of Mr. Snyder's deposition.

"The Committee suggests that Mr. Snyder prevented witnesses from coming forward yet does not identify a single witness who did not come forward or who suffered a single adverse consequence for having done so.

"And, ironically for an "investigative" body, supposedly engaged in an "investigation," the investigators actually criticize the team and Mr. Snyder for providing evidence to the Committee -- such as e-mails former team employees sent from their workplace accounts -- that reveal the actual causes of the formerly dysfunctional workplace environment at the team.

"Today's report does not advance public knowledge of the Washington Commanders workplace in any way. The team is proud of the progress it has made in recent years in establishing a welcoming and inclusive workplace, and it looks forward to future success, both on and off the field."

Last month, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Virginia launched a criminal investigation stemming from allegations that the team "engaged in financial improprieties," ESPN reported at the time, citing two sources familiar with the situation.

ESPN reports that the investigation was launched in relation to "a letter the House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent to the Federal Trade Commission and several attorneys general in April that alleged deceptive business practices."

Attorneys general in Virginia and Washington, D.C. were reported to be looking into allegations of financial impropriety, according to the sources familiar with the situation.

A Commanders spokesperson provided a statement from attorney John Brownlee of Holland & Knight, who represents the NFL franchise, in response to ESPN's request for comment.

"It is not surprising that ESPN is publishing more falsehoods based solely on anonymous sources -- given today's announcement," the statement said via ESPN. "...We are confident that, after these agencies have had a chance to review the documents and complete their work, they will come to the same conclusion as the team's internal review -- that these allegations are simply untrue."

NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said the league "will decline comment" when asked if the NFL was aware of the federal criminal investigation.

"The NFL in April engaged former SEC chair Mary Jo White to look into this matter," McCarthy said. "The review is ongoing."

White was also leading the league's previous investigation into the Commanders regarding allegations of sexual misconduct under Snyder, who is also accused of an alleged sexual assault of a woman on his plane in April 2009.

ESPN's report came hours after Snyder and his wife, Tanya, announced they've hired Bank of America Securities to consider "potential transactions" in relation to the Washington Commanders NFL franchise.

"Dan and Tanya Snyder and the Washington Commanders announced today that they have hired BoA Securities to consider potential transactions," the Commanders said in a statement re-shared by CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones on November 2. "The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing the work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL.

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