House Republican questions credibility of Commanders’ ex-employee in panel’s investigation

The top Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, in a letter Thursday to the panel’s chair, suggested former Commanders employee Jason Friedman be given the opportunity to amend his prior testimony or be referred to the Department of Justice for giving potentially false statements.

Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, wrote in a letter to Rep. Carolyn Maloney that the panel’s probe into the NFL and Commanders was an “embarrassment” and a misuse of authority. Comer questioned the reliability of Friedman, who accused the team of committing multiple financial improprieties, including withholding ticket revenue from the NFL and refusing to refund security deposits to season ticket holders.

Comer’s two-page letter comes after the Commanders sent their own scathing letter attacking Friedman’s credibility to the Federal Trade Commission, with the team offering sworn affidavits from former employees and line-by-line pushback on Friedman’s allegations. Last week, the Democrat-controlled House Oversight Committee called for the FTC to review the Commanders for potential criminal conduct based on Friedman’s testimony. 

“The information contained in the Team’s letter to the FTC raises serious concerns about Mr. Friedman’s statements,” Mr. Comer wrote. “Rather than vet his claims, you publicly repeated them.

“As you are aware, under 18 U.S.C. 1001, it is a crime to knowingly and willfully make any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation to Congress, including congressional staff.”

Comer called for Maloney to end the probe, repeating his argument that Congress should play no role in investigating “a private company with no connection to the federal government.”  He accused Maloney of taking a “one-sided approach” and criticized her for not giving the Commanders a chance to respond to Friedman’s allegations before alerting the FTC. 

Maloney, a New York Democrat, fired back in a statement Thursday,  saying she was surprised that her Republican colleague believes it’s a subject unworthy of the committee’s attention.

“While the Ranking Member may believe we should have ignored troubling evidence of potential financial misconduct obtained during this investigation, I decided the more responsible course was to refer this to the Federal Trade Commission, which can now determine whether further actions are warranted,” Maloney said.  

Maloney said that the committee’s probe would continue with the focus remaining on the team’s workplace culture. During a February congressional roundtable, former employee Tiffani Johnston told members of Congress that Commanders owner Dan Snyder inappropriately touched her thigh underneath a dinner table and later tried to coax her into a limo. Snyder denied the allegations, but the details prompted the NFL to launch another investigation into the owner and the team. 

The panel’s investigation has become ripe for partisan divide over the past few months. Republicans have argued that the NFL shouldn’t fall under the committee’s purview, while Democrats have said they have the right to oversee workplace issues. Historically, the House panel has been involved in sports before, notably investigating MLB and steroid use in the 2000s. The latter received bipartisan support, with the Republican-controlled committee issuing subpoenas to MLB executives and players in 2005. 

Lisa Banks, an attorney for Friedman, said in a statement Thursday that her client told the truth when meeting with the panel. 

“In response, he has been attacked personally and professionally by the team and now by a member of Congress,” Banks said. “Unfortunately, Mr. Friedman remains contractually unable to defend himself publicly, but stands ready and able to answer any questions that the government, including Representative Comer, might have about his experiences or actions on behalf of the Washington Commanders.”