NFL hires former U.S. Attorney General to assist with Washington investigation

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The independent investigation of the Washington Football Team will be boosted by someone who was once the nation’s chief law-enforcement officer.

The league has retained former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch “help investigate allegations of misconduct among the owners of the Washington Football Team,” reports Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal.

Lynch’s investigation reportedly will focus on minority owner Dwight Schar’s alleged efforts to smear majority owner Daniel Snyder. That issue has prompted Snyder to file a lawsuit in India and to seek information via related court proceedings from a broad range of individuals who may or may not be part of the puzzle that eventually shows Schar’s fingerprints.

As noted earlier, a federal judge separately has scheduled a hearing for January 7, at which time the judge will interrogate Snyder, Schar, Fred Smith, and Robert Rothman regarding media leaks that potentially violate court orders and/or confidentiality agreement.

The league reportedly isn’t happy with the fact that the minority owners took their dispute with Snyder to court. The league surely doesn’t like the perception/reality that a minority owner may have tried to use media manipulation to force a majority owner to sell.

If that behavior doesn’t quickly become addressed and punished, every other majority owner with limited partners becomes at risk for similar tactics directed at them.

Beyond the squabbling among the Washington owners, the league must fully explore all facts and circumstances regarding the reported $1.6 million sexual misconduct settlement into which Snyder entered in 2009. That also could, based on the investigation, produce the result that Schar may have been trying to engineer, possibly by spreading fabricated stories about Snyder.