Commanders owner Dan Snyder facing allegations of inappropriate conduct by former team employees

A former Washington Commanders employee alleged inappropriate conduct by team owner Dan Snyder during a congressional hearing Thursday, sparking an NFL investigation into the allegations.

"He left his hand on the middle of my thigh until I physically removed it," former team employee Tiffani Johnston said Thursday, via ESPN. "The only reason Dan Snyder removed his hand from my back and stopped pushing me towards his limo was because his attorney intervened and said, 'Dan, Dan, this is a bad idea.' ... I learned that I should remove myself from Dan's grip while his attorney was distracting him."

Another former employee, Jason Friedman, corroborated Johnston's account in a letter that was read by a representative.

In a statement, the NFL said it would investigate the allegations made by Johnston. Snyder also released a statement denying the encounter happened.

"While past conduct at the Team was unacceptable, the allegations leveled against me personally in today's roundtable — many of which are well over 13 years old — are outright lies," Snyder said in a statement, via ESPN. "I unequivocally deny having participated in any such conduct, at any time and with respect to any person. Tanya [Snyder] and I will not be distracted by those with a contrary agenda from continuing with the positive personnel and cultural changes that have been made at the Team over the past 18 months, and those that we continue to make both on and off the field."

In July 2020, an investigation was launched into the Washington franchise — which adopted the name Commanders on Wednesday -- after allegations of workplace misconduct. In July 2021, the team was fined $10 million for a culture that the investigation said included bullying, intimidation, multiple allegations of sexual harassment and a "general lack of respect in the workplace."

Six former Commanders employees attended the roundtable with members of Congress on Thursday, urging the NFL to publicly release the findings of its investigation into the franchise.