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The Washington Commanders, owner Dan Snyder, the NFL, and league commissioner Roger Goodell are facing a consumer protection lawsuit from Washington DC Attorney General Karl Racine, who is alleging a scheme to deceive customers about the transparency of an investigation into hostile workplace and sexual harassment claims against the team.

'For years, the team and its owner have caused very real and very serious harm and then lied about it to dodge accountability,' Racine said Thursday. 'They did all of this to hide the truth, protect their images and let the profits continue to roll.'  

Racine said the team and league violated DC consumers' rights based on what they knew about the organization's workplace misconduct, alleging Snyder lied about his knowledge of the situation.

Sexual harassment allegations against the team first surfaced publicly in 2020 with a pair of Washington Post reports, detailing the claims 

Four posters flanked Racine during his announcement, outlining some of the history of the team's rebranding efforts that included references to DC and its flag and the history of the NFL's investigation into the organization's workplace culture.

'Dan Snyder assured fans that he would fully cooperate with the investigation and the results could be trusted,' one of the posters read. 'That was a lie: He repeatedly attempted to interfere, and the fans could not trust results that were never made public. Because Snyder had a veto.'

The findings of Beth Wilkinson's investigation were not released in July 2021 when the league fined the team $10 million for having a toxic workplace culture. The final poster read: 'Fans' outrage intensified when it became clear that Snyder lied to them: There would be no transparency and no reckoning. That impacted consumer spending decisions.'

The team is being investigated on several fronts, including by the attorneys general of DC and Virginia, Congress and the league. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy last week said former US Attorney Mary Jo White's review on behalf of the league is ongoing and there is no timetable for when it will be completed.

McCarthy did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment after Racine's press conference.

'We will issue subpoenas,' Racine said. 'We will seek testimony under oath.'

Racine took a shot at Snyder's virtual deposition with the US House Committee for Oversight and Reform by saying depositions are 'not likely to occur on a yacht but in a conference room in the District of Columbia.'

The Snyders announced last week they hired Bank of America Securities to look into selling part or all of the team. A team spokesperson said they were 'exploring all options' in regards to the organization that Forbes values at $5.6 billion.

Thursdays news follows a bizarre back-and-forth between Racine's office and the Commanders, who walked back a disastrous team statement issued ahead of Thursday's press conference.   

The team deflected blame onto the Attorney General's office for the August shooting of Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr., who survived the incident and has since returned to action. What's more, the team attempted to refocus the news around Washington's violent crime rate.

'Despite out-of-control violent crime in DC, today the Washington Commanders learned for the first time on Twitter that the D.C. Attorney General will be holding a press conference to 'make a major announcement' related to the organization tomorrow,' read the team statement.

Robinson's agent, Ryan Williams, has since condemned the team's initial statement on Twitter: 'Although I know that there are some great humans in that building, whoever is hiding behind this statement is not one of them.'

Later Wednesday, Commanders president Jason Wright walked back the team's initial statement following Williams's Twitter post by voicing support for DC police chief Robert J. Contee III.

'I just spoke to Chief Contee, conveying how much we support the work of MPD, as well as public safety leaders and elected officials working to reduce gun violence and crime across the region,' Wright said.

'The earlier statement expressed our external counsel's ongoing frustration with the Attorney General's office, as they have been nothing but earnest and transparent in their communications with this team. The lawyers' legitimate frustrations with the AG should have been separate and apart from referencing the terrible crime that affected our player.'

The developments are just the latest in a wave of negative news surrounding the Commanders and embattled team owner Dan Snyder, who has hired a bank to explore the possibility of selling all or a portion of the club.

Currently the Commanders are under a congressional investigation over hostile workplace and sexual harassment allegations, some of which were specifically levied against Snyder. He has denied the allegations.

Racine's office has been investigating the team since the House Committee for Oversight and Reform referred allegations of financial malpractice against the Commanders to the Attorney General.

That referral came about after the team was fined $10 million by the NFL in July of 2021 over its handling of sexual harassment allegations within the organization. The league did not release a written report on its findings, prompting the Oversight Committee to investigate. Ultimately both commissioner Roger Goodell and even Snyder testified before the committee, although the Commanders owner's deposition has not been released.

During that investigation, the Oversight Committee learned of financial malpractice allegations against the team spanning more than a decade. The club is accused of improperly withholding ticket revenue from visiting opponents and refundable ticket deposits from fans. The Commanders have denied the allegations.

The Committee notified the Federal Trade Commissioner and Racine's office about the claims in April. Soon after, Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares launched an investigation into the allegations.

'Snyder will no longer be able to dodge subpoenas or avoid testifying or answering questions,' an anonymous source told The Washington Post.'

Racine revealed his office's investigation last month and will make another announcement about the team on Thursday.

The team responded to Racine's announcement on Wednesday with its initial statement, referencing Robinson.

'Less than three months ago, a 23-year-old player on our team was shot multiple times in broad daylight,' read the statement. 'Despite out-of-control violent crime in DC, today the Washington Commanders learned for the first time on Twitter that the D.C. Attorney General will be holding a press conference to 'make a major announcement' related to the organization tomorrow.'

The statement from Snyder's team attacked Racine's office and appeared to take issue with the lack of forewarning about Thursday's announcement.

'The Commanders have fully cooperated with the AG's investigation for nearly a year,' the statement continued. 'As recently as Monday, a lawyer for the team met with the AG who did not suggest at that time that he intended to take any action and, in fact, revealed fundamental misunderstandings of the underlying facts.

'It is unfortunate that, in his final days in office, Mr. Racine appears more interested in making splashy headlines, based on offbeat legal theories, rather than doing the hard work of making the streets safe for our citizens, including bringing to justice the people who shot one of our players.'

Williams, Robinson's agent, blasted the statement on Twitter: 'Up until an hour ago, the Commanders handled the Brian Robinson situation with so much care, sincerity and class. And I was so grateful for all of it. Although I know that there are some great humans in that building, whoever is hiding behind this statement is not one of them.'

DC metro police have arrested a 17-year-old male for Robinson's shooting. Contee said the juvenile has been charged with assault with intent to rob while armed.

Robinson was shot twice in the leg on August 28 in a busy area of northeast Washington. He has since undergone surgery and made his NFL debut and claimed the starting running back spot on the depth chart.

Several billionaires are reportedly interested in purchasing the Commanders, including Boston Red Sox co-owner John

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