While both Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta both have interest in buying the Washington Commanders from Daniel Snyder, their potential bidding war may not begin unless the 30 other NFL owners vote to remove Snyder beforehand. On Monday, the embattled Snyder and his legal team reportedly requested other NFL owners and the league “indemnify him against future legal liability and costs” if he moves forward with selling the Commanders, according to the Washington Post.
Snyder has reportedly threatened to sue the NFL and its owners if his request of indemnification isn’t granted, leading to talks of simply voting him out of his ownership, per an anonymous source who spoke to the Washington Post. His demands have been labeled “ridiculous” and “absurd” by those sources. If Snyder refuses to sell, the other NFL owners would “definitely” move closer to voting Snyder out of his ownership, something that would have to be done by three-fourths of the league’s owners.
On top of looking to absolve himself of any legal or financial issues stemming from his ownership, Snyder is additionally looking for the NFL to keep the results of the ongoing investigation into himself and the team’s workplace environment confidential. This request flies in the face of the league’s public statement that attorney Mary Jo White’s investigation findings will be made public.
On Tuesday, some of the details of this investigation became known, and they center around alleged financial misconduct, according to ESPN. Snyder allegedly took a $55 million loan through the franchise without informing his minority owners and receiving their approval, which is critical because it came 16 months before buying out his minority partners, who had a combined 40% share of the franchise. This loan has reportedly been a key area of focus for federal prosecutors who are investigating financial misconduct.
A federal grand jury has issued subpoenas for a number of the team’s financial documents, and the investigation is being spearheaded by the FBI and the IRS, per ESPN. During a closed-door arbitration, the Commanders’ former minority owners requested that the NFL investigate Snyder’s loan. However, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, whose signature was needed for the team to acquire new debt, and the NFL arbitrator who investigated the allegations of Snyder’s financial wrongdoing did…
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