The NFL has run out of time on its effort to run out the clock.
Hopeful that the scandal regarding the supposedly secret emails obtained through the investigation of workplace issues at the Washington Football Team would die on the vine, the league has had one of its typically worst fears come to fruition. Congress is getting involved.
Via Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports, the U.S. House of Representative’s Oversight Committee has decided to explore the situation. The Committee sent a letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday requesting information relating to the WFT investigation.
The Committee seeks documents, communications, reports, or findings in connection with the WFT investigation.
“We hope and trust the NFL shares the Committee’s goal of protecting American workers from harassment and discrimination,” the letter to Goodell reportedly explains.
The scandal has many layers and tentacles. From the original decision to hide all information obtained via lawyer Beth Wilkinson’s investigation to the more recent events that resulted in the selective leaks of some emails sent by former Raiders coach Jon Gruden to former WFT president Bruce Allen to the other various issues relating to the trove of 650,000 emails gathered but kept secret (except when not) by the upper reaches of the league, someone needs to get to the bottom of all of this. Hopefully, the Oversight Committee will do it.
And to the extent that hearings eventually will be held, the key witness will be Wilkinson. The league asked her not to prepare a report. She surely has the materials on which a report would be based. Her testimony would become an oral version of the report, delivered under oath before Congress.
It’s only fair that all of the facts come out. Someone weaponized the emails to take out Gruden during football season, to the detriment of one of the NFL’s franchises. Whoever did it opened the door to full and fair disclosure regarding the things Wilkinson learned, and the documents she gathered.
The Committee requested a response by November 4. It will be very interesting to see what the NFL has to say.