• Loading stock data...
Thursday, July 10, 2025
exclusive
Law

Congress Eyes WFT Hearing Near Super Bowl Weekend

  • The House Oversight and Reform Committee has sought info from the NFL for months.
  • A final decision on whether to call a hearing has not been made by committee leadership.
us_capitol_building
Design: Alex Brooks

The congressional committee probing the NFL’s handling of the Washington Football Team’s toxic workplace investigation is considering holding a hearing around the same time as the upcoming Super Bowl, sources told Front Office Sports.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee and the NFL have basically been at a standstill since October when the committee first sought information in the aftermath of leaked emails from the investigation that led to Jon Gruden’s abrupt resignation as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The leaders of the committee haven’t decided whether a hearing and/or subpoenas could be in the offing. One source with knowledge of the matter told FOS that “all options are on the table.”

Multiple potential witnesses, however, have been asked if dates around Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13 were workable for a hearing, FOS has learned, presenting a potential conflict on the NFL’s biggest weekend.

The same chamber has called hearings related to professional sports, including on steroids in Major League Baseball.

In one of those hearings in 2008, seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens faced lying to Congress charges over his sworn testimony. Clemens was eventually acquitted on all charges. 

In December 2012, the committee — then led by since-retired Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) — held a hearing on why the NFL wasn’t testing players for HGH during the season. The NFL and the NFLPA eventually agreed to implement game-day testing in 2014. 

Current Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y) along with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) have attempted to leverage news coverage to pressure the NFL. 

The latest attempt to get the NFL to turn over documents related to the investigation came in a news release on Dec. 14, hours after The Washington Post reported team owner Dan Snyder attempted to interfere with the investigation led by former assistant U.S. attorney Beth Wilkinson.

“To get to the bottom of this story, NFL must immediately turn over all evidence of Snyder’s interference and the other documents we requested over a month ago,” Maloney and Krishnamoorthi wrote in the news release. 

A spokesperson for the Oversight Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters on Dec. 15 that Snyder’s alleged attempts to impede Wilkinson’s investigation had no impact on her or her firm’s work. 

“The one thing I can say with a hundred percent assurance is that it didn’t interfere with the work that our investigator did,” Goodell said. “We were able to access all the people that she wanted to access, and have multiple conversations with those people. There’s always a little bit of a tug and a pull with particular lawyers and law firms. That’s something that I think we were able to overcome and make sure that we came to the right conclusion.”

The NFL didn’t release a written report when its findings from Wilkinson’s investigation were made public and the Washington Football Team was fined $10 million on July 1. Dan Snyder was not suspended, although he decided to step down from day-to-day operations to focus on finding a site for a new stadium. His wife, Tanya Snyder, stepped into that role as co-CEO. 

“We continue to cooperate with the Committee,” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told FOS on Monday. “Out of respect for the Committee and its ongoing process, we will decline to comment further.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Gareth Bale
exclusive

Gareth Bale Group Makes New Offer for Cardiff City 

Bale tells Front Office Sports his group has made another bid.
Feb 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell during the NFLPA press conference at the Super Bowl LIX media center at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

NFLPA Head Has Side Hustle With PE Firm That Can Invest in..

The NFLPA’s executive director is embroiled in multiple controversies.
exclusive

Amazon Adding Dell Curry to NBA Coverage Team

The 16-year NBA veteran has been a Hornets color commentator.

NFL’s Alternate Uniforms Fuel Big Business—and Lots of Nostalgia

The Commanders kick off a run of new NFL helmets and uniforms.

Featured Today

Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
Caster Semenya

Caster Semenya’s Legal Win Could Reopen Fight Against Testosterone Limits

The Olympian champion’s appeal against gender eligibility rules continues.
May 9, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Sports are shown on TVs behind the bar as guests enjoy the grand opening of DraftKings Sports & Social in the Short North. Though there are no on-site betting windows, eligible customers can place bets through the DraftKings app.
July 3, 2025

PrizePicks Drops Suit Against Ex-Employee Who Left for DraftKings

The ex-employee still disputes the allegations.
A set of trading cards
July 9, 2025

Judge Rules Against Fanatics as Panini Case Gets Rancorous

A judge ordered Fanatics to turn over unredacted trading card licenses.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Wander Franco
June 26, 2025

Wander Franco Convicted of Child Sex Abuse, Receives 2-Year Suspended Sentence

Franco can avoid jail time but is unlikely to return to MLB.
Wimbledon
June 25, 2025

Players Suing Tennis Begin Negotiations With Grand Slams

They may add the Slams as defendants if talks fail in 90 days.
Dec 24, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) warms up before the game between the Browns and the New Orleans Saints at FirstEnergy Stadium
June 24, 2025

Unearthed NFL Arbitration Ruling Raises More Questions Than Answers

The NFL was cleared of collusion, but new questions have emerged.
Apr 24, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) controls the ball against the Denver Nuggets during the second half of game three in the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome.
June 24, 2025

James Harden Sued for Negligence in Sexual Assault Case

Harden hosted the party where the alleged incident happened.