David Donovan, one of Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder’s top lieutenants, is leaving his position as the franchise’s chief operating officer to rejoin the law firm that employed him before his six-year tenure with the team.
Snyder released a statement noting that Donovan will continue to serve as a consultant.
Donovan did not influence the Redskins’ player roster, but he steered the business side of the organization and heavily impacted fans’ experience at FedEx Field and training camp.
He helped defend the Redskins’ lawsuit against an elderly season-ticket holder in 2009, as documented by the Washington Post, and more recently Snyder’s defamation suit of Washington City Paper.
In 2009, Donovan also enacted the team’s ban on all signs carried by fans into FedEx Field. The ban was widely criticized and ultimately was lifted after less than a month.
He also helped oversee the recent changes to the stadium, including the installation of two high-definition videoboards and the ongoing construction of party decks.
Haynesworth trial pushed back
Albert Haynesworth’s sexual abuse trial was rescheduled for Aug. 23 after a judge on Monday granted the defense’s motion to continue the trial.
The defensive lineman’s trial was scheduled for Monday, but his lawyer, A. Scott Bolden, requested a continuance to accommodate the schedules of certain witnesses, according to court records.
Bolden requested the trial be moved to Aug. 2, but there was insufficient room on that day’s docket, U.S. Attorney’s office spokesman William Miller said.
Haynesworth is charged with one count of misdemeanor sexual abuse. A waitress at the rooftop lounge of the W Hotel in Northwest D.C. has accused him of fondling her breast when he slid a credit card into her blouse during an alleged incident Feb. 13.
• Rich Campbell can be reached at rcampbell@washingtontimes.com.
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