Former Commanders ticket executive suing team for defamation

As if anything else can go wrong for the Washington Commanders, Sportico reports that another lawsuit has been filed against the team, this time by a former executive.

Jason Friedman, who worked for the team for 24 years from 1996 until 2020, is suing the Commanders and attorney John Brownlee for defamation. Friedman alleges that the team held security deposits and deceived fans into buying more expensive tickets on the belief that lower-priced ones were sold out. He also alleged that the team withheld the reports of their revenues from the NFL to in order avoid having to share those monies with other team owners.

Friedman's charges ended up being part of separate investigations from both the league and the United States Congress as both examined a toxic work environment within the organization that allegedly included sexual harassment of female employees, including its cheerleaders. 

Friedman testified to the Congressional committee, and the team issued a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, calling him "a serial liar." Those three words, as well as a separate statement from the team suggesting that "anyone who offered testimony suggesting a withholding of revenue has committed perjury, plain and simple" are the grounds for his defamation case.  Friedman is looking for $8 million in damages.

In a statement to Sportico, Friedman's lawyer said:

“Jason Friedman testified truthfully before Congress about his experiences with the Washington Commanders,” Banks told Sportico in a statement. “In response to his testimony, the team and its lawyer attempted to publicly destroy him by baselessly calling him a liar and questioning his moral character. I am confident that Mr. Friedman will be vindicated both by the NFL’s investigation and a court of law.”

Interestingly enough, the remaining team owners are preparing to vote on Dan Snyder's agreement to sell the team to Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris. Though the fellow owners are expected to approve the sale, it doesn't prevent the lawsuit from proceeding.

In his analysis of the filing, Michael McMann said he expects the Commanders will file a motion to dismiss the suit, and that it can potentially consider their comments about Friedman part of its "litigation privilege" as it involves ongoing legal proceedings.