The two sides have remained unable to agree to conditions by which Snyder would testify to the committee as part of the panel’s inquiry into the team’s workplace culture.
“We remain committed to securing Mr. Snyder’s testimony on the toxic work environment at the Washington Commanders following his failure to appear voluntarily at the Committee’s hearing and his continued refusal to allow his attorney to accept service of a subpoena,” a committee spokesperson said in a statement. “We are continuing to negotiate with his counsel to ensure the Committee can obtain the full and complete testimony we need, and we are reviewing her latest correspondence.”
Snyder did not appear before the committee, as requested, at a Capitol Hill hearing June 22, citing a previously scheduled business commitment in France. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tested remotely at that hearing. Maloney announced that day that she would issue a subpoena to compel Snyder’s testimony via a deposition the following week.
Snyder and his legal team have not accepted receipt of the subpoena. Snyder would testify under oath if he were to accept service of the subpoena. He would not be placed under oath if he were to make the voluntary appearance proposed by Seymour in Thursday’s letter.
Seymour wrote in Thursday’s letter that she had informed the committee’s staff that Snyder “would soon be traveling to Israel to much of July engaged in long-planned events to mark the first Yahrzeit, or anniversary, of the passing of his mother, Arlette Snyder . … Snyder and his family will remain in Israel through the end of July and into August in connection with these religious observances. …
“In an effort to accommodate the Committee’s interest in speaking to him promptly, however, I informed the Committee’s staff that, on the assumption that our due process concerns could be resolved, Mr. Snyder could make himself available for a voluntary appearance by Zoom on July 28 or 29 — notwithstanding that he would still be in Israel with his family at that time — and that I would travel to Israel to represent him, ”Seymour wrote.
David Rapallo, a Georgetown University professor of law and former staff director of the House Oversight Committee, noted certain specifics in Thursday’s letter to the committee.
“The lawyer makes it sound like Snyder is being cooperative by offering to appear voluntarily, but that means he’s going to answer only the questions he wants to answer,” said Rapallo, who added that Seymour’s reference to due process concerns “suggests that Snyder doesn’t ‘t want to answer questions about certain topics, such as anything covered by [nondisclosure agreements] or other issues.”
Seymour previously has cited issues of fairness and due process as impediments to Snyder agreeing to testify.
“Unfortunately, despite Mr. Snyder’s good faith efforts to cooperate with the Committee by proposing two dates for a voluntary appearance, the discussions thus far with the Committee’s staff have not been fruitful, and I remain concerned that the Committee is not proceeding in a manner that sufficiently respects Mr. Snyder’s right to fundamentally fair treatment,” Seymour wrote in Thursday’s letter.