Commanders bizarrely cite Robinson shooting in criticism of probe into team
The Washington Commanders cited the summer shooting of running back Brian Robinson in their criticism of the District of Columbia attorney general's ongoing investigation into the team.
A spokesperson from the Commanders issued the following statement in response to AG Karl A. Racine's plans to make a "major announcement" about the team Thursday:
Less than three months ago, a 23-year-old player on our team was shot multiple times, in broad daylight. Despite the 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 Commanders have fully cooperated with the AG's investigation for nearly a year. 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.
Robinson was shot twice as the victim of an attempted robbery in August. He underwent surgery and missed the season's first four games before returning in Week 5.
Ryan Williams, the agent representing the running back, expressed disappointment with the Commanders' statement.
"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," Williams said 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."
Commanders president Jason Wright later acknowledged that the shooting involving Robinson should not have been included in the team's response.
"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 his team," Wright said in a statement. "The lawyers' legitimate frustrations with the AG should have been separate and apart from referencing the terrible crime that affected our player."
Racine announced Thursday his office is filing a lawsuit against the Commanders, team owner Dan Snyder, the NFL, and commissioner Roger Goodell, accusing them of colluding to deceive and mislead customers about an investigation of the team's workplace, according to Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.
Both Congress and the NFL have investigated the Commanders for alleged workplace misconduct. The franchise is also reportedly the focus of a criminal investigation opened by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Virginia over allegations of financial impropriety and deceptive business practices.
Snyder announced earlier this month that the team hired BofA Securities "to consider potential transactions" involving the franchise. It is unknown whether Snyder is interested in selling the entire franchise or a minority stake.