Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder said he is the victim of an extortion campaign by one of the franchise’s minority owners, according to a court filing Wednesday in Maryland.
Snyder filed a day after a Washington Post story reported further details of a $ 1.6 million settlement the franchise paid to a former employee in 2009 over a sexual misconduct allegation.
Snyder’s filing, in the U.S. District Court in southern Maryland, said one of the team’s minority partners, Dwight Schar, was trying to force him to sell the franchise.
“I firmly believe that the plaintiffs’ motion and the additional filing and news articles they have generated are the latest in their attempt to extort me,” said the petitioner.
The New York Times reported on the settlement last weekend. On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that it had received a copy of the agreement and, citing an anonymous source, said it stemmed from an incident on Snyder’s plane during his return from the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas.
In Snyder’s filing on Wednesday, he said, “The Post’s article contains several quotes from the filing that falsely give the misleading impression, based on the plaintiffs’ position and status, that the allegations of misconduct were meritorious. of the plaintiffs when submitting their additional application is now clear: to try to keep smearing on me in an effort to gain influence in this business dispute.
The New York Times had reported earlier on Sunday that two investigations in 2009 – by the team and an outside law firm – failed to substantiate the former employee’s claim. The newspaper reported that Snyder had paid the amount to avoid negative publicity. Also in the settlement, Snyder did not admit wrongdoing, nor did anyone else.
According to Snyder, no evidence of wrongdoing has been found after an investigation by a law firm.
“Plaintiff Schar nevertheless threatened to disclose to discredit me and embarrass my family, but the insurance company decided to settle it,” Snyder said according to the filing.
In two stories this summer, the Post reported that a total of 40 women had said they were sexually harassed while employed by the franchise. The outlet also reported that “obscene videos had been made by the team of cheerleader calendar shoot outtakes in 2008 and 2010.” Snyder has said he didn’t know about those videos.
The stories coincide with Snyder’s three minority partners, Schar, Fred Smith and Bob Rothman, who wanted to sell their shares. Together they own 40% of the team. Snyder has reportedly offered to buy the stock for $ 900 million. Washington’s franchise is estimated at $ 3.5 billion, according to Forbes; on a sale of the team, 40% would be worth $ 1.4 billion.
The NFL is conducting an independent investigation into the allegations in the Post articles. On Tuesday, the league announced that former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch would join the investigation, highlighting Schar’s alleged role in the leakage of information.
Snyder has claimed in previous documents that Schar was behind some of the negative information contained in articles. On Wednesday, his filing stated that “Dwight Schar has funneled information about me and the team to Mary Ellen Blair, a former executive assistant on the team, to be provided to The Washington Post.”
According to Snyder, Blair made a statement that Schar told her to share information with the Washington Post. Snyder’s application alleged that Schar Blair’s daughter had bought a “burner phone” to “try to escape the discovery of Mr. Schar’s conspiratorial communications.” He called “countless calls” from that phone to Schar’s mobile number.
Snyder said there have been repeated threats from Schar and others associated with him in the past five months. Snyder said Schar threatened “my personal attorney” in an interview on July 25.
Snyder alleged that Schar had told his attorney that if he didn’t sell the team, information would come out that the story will “ kill Dan. ”
A text by the minority owners’ investment banker John Moag hinted at what could happen if Snyder didn’t cooperate: “And you know it has nothing to do with the media – … it’s the more serious business. you want as — show, that’s what we stand for. “
Moag has confirmed to other outlets that the text was correct.
On Jan. 7, there will be a virtual hearing before US District Judge Peter Messitte on each party claiming the other information is leaking to the media. According to the Post, Snyder, Schar, Rothman and Smith should all make an appearance. Snyder denied in his application that he was the source of any confidential information.
“I fight on multiple fronts for interests beyond just myself, including for the team I love, and also for my family,” Snyder said in the filing, “and can swear by this court that the charges I am making on improper information got the press is false. “