Congress just wrapped up their hearing
with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell
about the toxic workplace culture.
With the Washington commanders and
joining me right now are two former
employees with the Washington commanders,
Melanie Coburn and Anna Nunez.
And after listening to this hearing
that featured Roger Goodell,
what's your first reaction to
how it actually went? Melanie,
I still have so many questions,
Darren, specifically,
I I think we need to know more
about these videos that were
uncovered early on that have been,
you know, since been settled.
They weren't even mentioned today.
The financial improprieties that the various
attorney generals are investigating,
as well as potentially the FTC.
And my biggest question for Roger
all along has been how could
you possibly let this owner?
Purchase this team outright during
the Wilkinson investigation.
It just shows that it was never
above board from the beginning.
I don't know what was your reaction
to to this hearing that they had.
I feel like a lot of what he said
was things that we've heard before,
so there's really nothing new even in
certain situations where it was yes or no.
You know, he kept just kind of
talking about stuff, so in a way.
I think the most important part to me
was that Dan Snyder was subpoenaed.
And you know, that kind of goes to show
where the accountability while, yes,
Commissioner Goodell has a lot part of it.
But, you know, next week should
be interesting for us as well.
So altogether, you're watching
this hearing together.
What was the reaction between you two
when they issued that subpoena for
Dan Snyder to to speak to Congress
to testify in front of Congress?
Cause obviously he said that he couldn't
make this particular hearing. Today.
I think we cheered didn't we cheered?
We cheered because for
me I didn't think it was gonna happen.
Well I wish it was to happen
but to actually hear it from
Congresswoman Maloney, to say we're
subpoenaing subpoenaing him was huge.
And also you have been in this a
long time and and to see this type
of progression like yeah how did that
make you feel when you you knew that?
OK Congress is going to
force Dan Snyder to testify?
Ohh I mean it gave me hope right?
I mean this committee has done so much
to find the truth and what they kept.
You know nailing it in today was
that it's important not just for the
commanders workplace or the NFL workplace,
but the workplace of our nation.
If the most prominent workplace
in our nation is able to get away
with this and sweep things under
the rug and pay people off.
It will continue to happen
across the country,
so I'm super hopeful that some of the
questions that I still have you know
remaining will be answered potentially
by a dance night or himself next week.
How truthful do you think NFL
commissioner Roger Goodell was today?
I think it was pretty truthful.
I do think he wasn't fully knowledgeable
of what happened and even now some
of the questions that were asked.
He still didn't know with some how the
process with the investigations happened
and everything so you know it doesn't have.
I don't have a lot of faith that you know he
did fully know everything that was happening,
nor will he ever and I think just kind of
like a blanket of security that he has.
So for him I think the biggest thing for me
when he said that you know he was trying
to protect us to survivors like that.
Of the part where you know I
just didn't understand why,
because he hasn't really protected us.
And I think he's lying.
He knew about the common interest
agreement from the start.
He's an attorney.
He can't pretend that he didn't know
what it was about or what it entailed.
And you know, from the get go,
that agreement itself, really.
You know made this investigation
somewhat of a sham from the beginning.
You have the report by the Washington
Post about a former employee of a
situation of basically a sexual assault
that Dan Stein is being accused of
on a private airplane that came out.
Also, there's report by the post
mentioning that Dan Snyder paid
off particular people to not say
anything or he used fear to make
sure they didn't say anything.
To have that revealed during this Congress
hearing and hearing NFL commissioner
Roger Goodell respond to that.
What's your take on on all of this?
I mean, these are situations that
isn't my first time hearing about them,
which is really unfortunate.
But to have them come out,
I think this is the this
is the time to do it.
All these situations,
everything needs to come out now.
What about you melon? Yeah,
I mean, we've been living this.
I was offered hush money.
I've I've dealt with all of the
cheerleaders contacting me in fear
when these private investigators are
showing up on their doorstep at night
while their children are eating dinner
and the other room like it's it's sick,
the tactics that they've used.
I said it in my roundtable.
Say it again, Dan Snyder rules by fear.
That's how he's gotten away with
it this long and the legislation
that Chairwoman Maloney has
introduced could really make you
know it could lay the foundation.
For this to not happen again in the future.
You're watching this hearing today and.
You experienced that I I I was,
I'd never work for for for the
Washington Washington NFL team.
How traumatizing is this still
for you too? I mean, we're
almost at 2 years from when the
Washington Post article came out,
so you know, there are days that
are definitely better than others.
I mean, it's it's definitely a wound that's
fully hasn't healed even talking about it.
It's still a little uneasy whether it's
with former colleagues or friends who don't
really know the situation that happened.
But you know it does.
It does open up a little bit,
but I think the reminder that
I tell myself is, you know,
I was part of of this of speaking out.
Of, you know,
have going to Congress and and
towards a solution that isn't
just the full heel for myself,
but others.
Yeah, and I you know I still
have sleepless nights.
I still have anxiety. We saw what?
Dan Snyder's capable of with this
latest Shadow investigation work that
he's been doing, and it's terrifying.
I have a family I have a business,
and to know the links that he'll go to
to bring people down is really it's.
It's terrifying and not just myself
but the women who did sign the
settlement from those lewd videos.
You know, I still get text
messages from them regularly,
how they had to leave a restaurant
because the song played,
or they had a nightmare again
about who has the videos, right?
Like they don't know where these videos were.
Distributed,
they don't know whose hands they're in.
And as a mom and a friend and
a daughter and a wife like,
that's terrifying.
Two questions, the first one will be is
so we know that Congress is going to
force Dan Snyder to show up and testify.
What do you think? How do you
think that's gonna be played out?
I imagine there's going to be a lot of
pleading the 5th to be honest with you,
but again, I heard it was a deposition,
so I'm not sure it's going to be public.
I'm not sure what that process looks
like and what it would entail.
However, I do know that the members
of the committee who are on our side
and supporting us will ask those tough
questions and try to get to the truth,
and I just my hope is that you know
he's he's going to plead the 5th as
much as he wants and they're going
to realize that you know this is.
This has been the truth all along
our biggest nightmare.
And these sexual assault allegations
and this pattern.
You know it's it's been what's
happening for the last two decades.
What about you? Anna,
I agree. I think he's definitely
gonna plead the 5th and and not
really give a lot of answers,
but I think his silence,
just like today by not
showing up will speak louder.
If you can have everything your way.
Right now, what would that look like? The
report would be released and Dan
Snyder is no longer the owner of
the Washington football team or
the commanders as they are now.
I'd say that and I would add to it.
Roger Goodell. I think he also is
complicit in this and he needs to be.
Needs to pay for it as well.