Attorney Beth Wilkinson conducted a 10-month investigation of workplace issues with the Washington Commanders organization. She did not provide a written report to the NFL, but only because the league asked for a verbal report and nothing more.
She surely created a report for her own purposes. Six members of Congress representing the National Capital Region have asked NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to “release the results” of the Wilkinson investigation regarding the team and owner Daniel Snyder.
“Our constituents deserve to know the findings of the Wilkinson investigation, so that the Washington Commanders, including Mr. Snyder, can be properly held to account for the horrific behavior that occurred,” the six members of Congress wrote. “We encourage the NFL and the Washington Commanders to do the right thing ahead of the June hearing and release the report.”
The league consistently has offered a flimsy justification for secrecy. Basically, the league contends that because some of the current and former employees who cooperated requested anonymity, all facts, findings, and recommendations must be secret.
Actually, the recommendations weren’t secret. The recommendations were never requested. They were never requested because Wilkinson would have recommended, among other things, that Snyder be forced to sell the team.
It’s highly unlikely that the league will produce any written materials from Wilkinson. However, it’s a virtual certainty that Goodell will be asked clear, pointed questions next week regarding Wilkinson’s work. And if he tries to say he can’t talk about Wilkinson’s findings because he promised anonymity to some of the current and former employees who cooperated, hopefully he’ll hear directly from the members of the House Oversight Committee what a weak, lazy, and disingenuous excuse that is.
