Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder dodged questions and misled members of congress during testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform investigating the team's workplace culture, a report released Thursday said.

The 79-page report encapsulates findings from a nearly 14-month-long investigation into the workplace culture that Snyder established. Snyder answered over 100 questions by saying he did not know or could not recall.

In its findings, the Democratic-led committee identifies Snyder as a central figure in building a toxic workplace culture that infected the Commander's franchise.

According to the report, Snyder went to great lengths to stall the investigation, including the use of "hush money" payments to former employees and utilizing private investigators to dig up dirt on potential accusers.

Snyder had publicly said he would cooperate with the investigation but used a variety of tactics to stall or obscure findings, the committee concluded.

"Despite this commitment, Mr. Snyder provided testimony to the Committee that was often evasive or misleading," the report said. "For example, although Mr. Snyder admitted to using private investigators, he testified that he was 'unaware' whom his investigators approached and did not 'remember' having conversations with his counsel about the individuals targeted."

The committee also lambasted the NFL's handling of the sexual misconduct allegations and subsequent investigation into Snyder and his team. The report says the NFL was aware of Snyder's attempts to impede the league-run investigation and allowed the owner to privately negotiate the terms of his punishment.

The league also allowed Snyder to pay his $10 million fine in a way that may have allowed the team a tax benefit, according to the report.

The report found that the N.F.L.'s reform recommendations for the Commanders "bore a striking resemblance" to the reforms suggested by the NBA, during its 2018 investigation of workplace misconduct in the Dallas Mavericks organization.

"The committee's investigation shows that the N.F.L. has not protected workers from sexual harassment and abuse, has failed to ensure victims can speak up without fear of retaliation, and has not sought true accountability for those responsible, even after decades of misconduct," the committee said in its report.

Snyder has previously denied wrongdoing and apologized for the team's history of workplace issues. In a statement obtained by the Wall Street Journal, lawyers for the Commanders attacked the House committee's investigation, branding it as one-sided.

"Today's report does not advance public knowledge of the Washington Commanders' workplace in any way," lawyers John Brownlee and Stuart Nash of Holland & Knight said. "The team is proud of the progress it has made in recent years."

With Republicans taking control of the House next year, the future of the investigation and what will come from it remains unclear. The incoming chair of the committee, Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, announced that the inquiry into the Commanders' workplace culture would end under Republican control.

Snyder has recently begun to explore potential buyers for the Commanders, a move that has been welcomed by multiple people inside the N.F.L., including Indianapolis Colts owner, Jim Irsay.

"We have to act," Irsay said during an October league meeting. "He needs to be removed."

Forcing Snyder to sell his team would require the support of at least 24 of the league's 32 team owners.

NFL Football Congress