District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine isn’t simply targeting the Commanders. He’s targeting the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, too.
Racine announced on Thursday that his office will file a civil lawsuit against the Commanders, owner Daniel Snyder, the NFL, and Goodell. The lawsuit, arising from Racine’s jurisdiction over matters of consumer protection, will allege that the defendants “collud[ed] to deceive residents of the District of Columbia” about the investigation conducted by the NFL.
“The defendants lies about what they knew, and then the defendants lied about what they were going to do about it,” Racine said.
Racine contends that the NFL hid the truth in order to protect the image of the team, and to maximize profits. Racine said the NFL “effectively buried” the findings.
The victims, per Racine, are the citizens of the District of Columbia, based on the lies they’ve been told.
“They have a right to know the truth about the companies they support,” Racine said.
The NFL and the Commanders undoubtedly will fight this lawsuit. While it’s unclear whether it has any merit, one thing should be obvious. The NFL won’t be able to utilize Page One of its litigation playbook — attempt to force the case into the league’s secret, rigged kangaroo court of arbitration.
This means that, unless the NFL can find a way to get the case dismissed before the discovery process begins, people like Snyder and Goodell will be grilled under oath, in sworn depositions.
“The depositions are likely to occur not on a yacht, but in a conference room in the District of Columbia,” Racine said. “Because no one is above the law.”