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Diamars 19 aPriL 2022

Commanders send letter to FTC denying financial impropriety

tee’s recommendation. Siev said the NFL and the team finance Paul Szczenski is
argues no financial investiga- “have taken steps to withhold quoted as saying, “I can state
tion is warranted, saying the key documents and informa- unequivocally that I never
committee never requested tion.” helped maintain, or saw any-
information about the allega- one else maintain, a ‘second
tions made, which the Com- In a statement sent to The set’ of books. The team also
manders believe would clear Associated Press on April 4, a cites declarations from for-
them of any wrongdoing. Commanders spokeswoman mer chief operating officer
said there was “absolutely no Mitch Gershman and former
“The committee did not re- withholding of ticket reve- general counsel David Don-
quest a single document from nue at any time” and pointed ovan along with emails and
the team; the committee did to audits by multiple parties, other documents to refute
not invite a single representa- adding that “anyone who of- allegations cited by the Over-
tive of the team to address the fered testimony suggesting a sight Committee.
truth of the matters contained withholding of revenue has
in the committee’s letter; committed perjury, plain and The team called Friedman’s
and the committee did not simple.” accusations baseless, false and
(AP) — The NFL’s Wash- the FTC it found evidence of pose questions to the team reckless and painted him as a
ington Commanders de- deceptive business practices to answer in writing about Lawyer Lisa Banks, who rep- disgruntled former employ-
nied several allegations of over the span of more than a its allegations, or provide any resents Friedman, said at the ee. Banks and fellow attorney
financial impropriety in a decade, including withhold- mechanism whatsoever for time the team defamed her Debra Katz said in a state-
letter sent Monday to the ing ticket revenue from vis- the team to address the truth client, who she said “testified ment to The Associated Press
U.S Federal Trade Com- iting teams and refundable of the allegations,” the let- truthfully, with evidence.” that Friedman is prepared to
mission. deposits from fans. The NFL ter said. “Had the committee defend himself publicly if
said it engaged Securities and posed any of these questions Friedman testified before Snyder allows him to do so,
The 19-page letter includ- Exchange Commission chair or requests to the team, the Congress saying the team had but in the meantime would
ing testimony, emails and Mary Jo White “to review the team could — and would — two separate financial books: communicate directly with
other documents came as a most serious matters raised easily and fully have rebutted one with underreported tick- the team about what they
response to the U.S. House by the committee.” each allegation.” et revenue that went to the called “demonstrably false al-
Oversight and Reform Com- NFL and the full, complete legations.”
mittee asking the FTC to The letter signed by Jordan W. Congress began looking into picture. According to testi-
look into the team’s business Siev from the law firm Reed the team’s workplace mis- mony, owner Dan Snyder “Mr. Friedman stands by his
practices. There are more Smith denies all of those al- conduct after the league did was aware of the numbers testimony, which was truth-
than 80 pages of signed affi- legations and takes aim at the not release a report detailing shared with the league while ful and based on his experi-
davits, emails and text mes- motives and character of for- the findings of an indepen- also being privy to the actual ences with the team,” Banks
sage exchanges laid out as the mer VP of sales and custom- dent investigation into the data. and Katz said. “He is happy to
team’s evidence. er service Jason Friedman, matter, which led to a $10 answer follow-up questions
whose testimony against the million fine but no other In the team’s letter to the from Congress, the FTC, or
The committee last week told team framed the commit- discipline. The committee FTC, former director of any government agency.”

Spieth beats Cantlay with playoff bunker shot to 7 inches

(AP) — Thinking he or move in front. But all ex- up, certain he’d be called he holed out from a greenside
might have a chance for cept Cantlay could not chase back after Cantley made the Others besides Cantlay, who bunker. On the fifth hole, he
a playoff, Jordan Spieth down Spieth, who stayed winning putt. missed a 15-footer for bird- reached the green in two and
rolled in a 10-foot birdie away from watching too ie on his 72nd hole, had a rolled in a 24-footer as the
on the 18th hole in regu- much of the action once he Instead, Cantlay slid it by chance to catch Spieth. Straka gallery erupted in cheers.
lation. He made an even finished. right to set up the playoff. tied Spieth at 13 under with
bigger shot at Habour a birdie on the 17th, then Spieth reached 13 under with
Town’s signature hole in “Every single putt looks like In the playoff, Cantlay also bogeyed the final hole after a birdie on the eighth before
a playoff to win the RBC it’s going in,” Spieth said. “It hit into the front bunker, his approach found some falling back to 11 under with
Heritage. was way more nerve-racking with his lie looking like a gnarly long grass in front of bogeys on the ninth and 11th.
than actually playing.” fried egg. He blasted 35 feet the green. Varner had birdie He moved into striking posi-
Spieth’s 56-foot shot from past the cup and missed the chances on each of his last tion with a birdie on the 13th,
a greenside bunker stopped Spieth was certain he’d get par putt. four holes, yet could not con- then struck his approach to
7 inches away and he beat passed by Cantlay, the Fe- vert any of them. the drama-filled lighthouse
Patrick Cantlay with a tap- dEx Cup champion; past Cantlay was 179 yards from hole to 10 feet and posted at
in par Sunday on the light- British Open winner Shane the hole in the playoff and Spieth took off with the early 13 under.
house hole for his 13th career Lowry or third-round leader used a 9-iron as he did a short eagles. On the second hole,
PGA Tour title — and second Harold Varner III. When all time earlier in regulation.
straight on Easter Sunday. three parred the par-5, 15th, This shot, came up short of
the best chance for birdie on the green and in an awful po-
Sometimes, Spieth said, the back nine, Spieth felt his sition.
there’s a tournament where chances improve.
you feel you’ve played well, “Obviously, with it plugged
yet not good enough to win. When Spieth finished, he was like that, it’s darn near impos-
“I honestly felt like this was a stroke behind Shane Lowry. sible to get it close,” Cantlay
that week,” he said with a But Lowry’s chip on the par- said.
grin. “I needed a lot of things 3 14th raced across the green
to go right.” and into the water, leading to Three strokes behind Varner
double bogey. He finished a entering the round, Spieth
And he got them all. stroke back after a 69. eagled both front-nine par 5s
to get into the mix.
Spieth, at 13 under after his After Cantlay, tied for the lead
5-under 66, finished four after a birdie on the 17th, hit Spieth had won his last event,
groups ahead of Cantlay and his approach on the green on the Valero Texas Open, on
waited out the stellar field his closing hole of regulation, Easter to end a four-year
that had several chances to tie Spieth headed out to loosen winless drought.