Reports regarding the testimony given by former Washington Commanders employee Jason Friedman to Congress has triggered a skirmish between the team and Friedman’s lawyer.
On Saturday, FrontOfficeSports.com reported that someone had provided information to the U.S. House Committee on Oversight & Reform alleging that the team had not properly surrendered ticket revenue to the league-wide visiting-team fund. Thereafter, TheAthletic.com reported that Friedman has testified to the Committee, and that the information apparently came from him.
The team, on Monday afternoon, broke its conspicuous silence in the aftermath of Saturday’s claim.
“There has been absolutely no withholding of ticket revenue at any time by the Commanders,” a Washington spokesperson told Kaplan. “Those revenues are subject to independent audits by multiple parties. Anyone who offered testimony suggesting a withholding of revenue has committed perjury, plain and simple.”
Although the statement doesn’t specifically name Friedman, his lawyer has made the connection.
“The Washington Commanders just released a statement to members of the media,” attorney Lisa Banks said in a statement issued to A.J. Perez of FrontOfficeSports.com. “In that statement, they defamed my client, Jason Friedman, who came forward at the request of the Congressional Oversight Committee and testified truthfully, with evidence. Unfortunately, Mr. Friedman is unable to defend himself publicly due to contractual constraints that prevent him from speaking freely. He would be happy to recount his testimony if Dan Snyder and the Washington Commanders allow him to do so. I will await their response.”
Regardless of whether the statement from the team does enough to defame Friedman, the statement from Banks operates as a practical admission that Friedman gave testimony regarding the alleged ticket-revenue scheme. The statement from Banks also points out that Friedman had “evidence.” An unnamed source told the TheAthletic.com that Friedman presented to the Committee no evidence to support any wrongdoing regarding ticket revenue.
However it plays out, this feels far from over. Especially since Banks’s statement seems to refer to a non-disclosure agreement that would prevent Friedman from making his case publicly.
So will Washington let Friedman tell his story publicly? Hopefully, the team will. If not, hopefully the Committee will conduct a public hearing at which Friedman would be subpoenaed to testify. Whatever happened here, the truth needs to come out.