One of the House Democrats that sent a letter to the NFL seeking more information about its investigation into the Washington Football Team’s workplace environment says he fears Jon Gruden’s emails are the “tip of the iceberg.”
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi told ESPN that the representatives wanted to get involved because the NFL “holds a special place in American life.”
“The way they handle issues of race and gender and the way they treat their employees really influences the way society handles those very issues,” Krishnamoorthi said. “We’re very much interested in learning more about exactly why the NFL did what they did and the way they did it.”
In a series of emails first reported by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, the now former Las Vegas Raiders head coach managed to insult just about every minority in America. He said head of the NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith, had “lips the size of Michelin tires.” He also claimed the league encouraged teams to draft “queers.” He said women shouldn’t referee games.
He also called then Vice President Joe Biden (in 2012) a “nervous clueless pussy.” Last, but certainly not least, he called NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell a “faggot” and a “clueless anti football pussy.”
If those were just the tip of the iceberg, the NFL has an even bigger scandal on their hands, especially after stating they found nothing else in those 650,000 emails.
“The biggest fear is that what Jon Gruden appears to engage in is much more common than what we otherwise thought,” Krishnamoorthi said. “That’s what a lot of people are concerned about.”
In the letter sent to Roger Goodell, they want the NFL to produce “all documents and communications obtained in connection with the investigation into the WFT, its management, its owners, and any other matter relating to or resulting from the WFT investigation.” They also want the NFL to detail its role in attorney Beth Wilkinson’s investigation into the franchise and why there was no written report after 150 people had been interviewed.
“I just don’t know of an investigation where someone is not allowed to document what happened or to document the findings,” Krishnamoorthi told ESPN, “but that appears to be what happened here. There’s a large body of evidence she reviewed that others reviewed that is also somehow not surfacing in any way.”
