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An invitation to listen to survivors

“It’s an invitation,” says Aaron Hughes, cocurator of “Remaking the Exceptional: Tea, Torture, and Reparations,” an exhibition currently on display at the DePaul Art Museum. Marking…

Sports

Congress alleges ‘shadow investigation’ by Washington Commanders owner to discredit ex-employees’ harassment accusations

Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder conducted a “shadow investigation” that sought to discredit former employees making accusations of workplace sexual harassment, hired private investigators to intimidate witnesses, and used an overseas lawsuit as a pretext to obtain phone records and emails, according to a document released by a House committee on Wednesday.The Committee on Oversight and Reform is investigating the Commanders’ workplace culture following accusations of pervasive sexual harassment by team executives of women employees. It released the memo ahead of Wednesday’s morning hearing at which NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell testified remotely.AdvertisementSnyder was invited to testify but declined, citing overseas business commitments and concerns about due process. The committee chairwoman, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., announced during the hearing that she plans to issue a subpoena to compel him to testify.The 29-page memo alleges Snyder tried to discredit the people accusing him and other team executives of misconduct and also tried to influence an investigation of the team by attorney Beth Wilkinson’s firm.AdvertisementSnyder’s attorneys presented the NFL with a 100-slide PowerPoint presentation including “private text messages, emails, phone logs and call transcripts, and social media posts from nearly 50 individuals who Mr. Snyder apparently believed were involved in a conspiracy to disparage him,” the committee said.In a statement, a spokesman for Snyder characterized the report and the hearing as “a politically charged show trial” and said Congress should not be investigating “an issue a football team addressed years ago.”Goodell told the committee that the team’s culture has transformed as a result of the Wilkinson probe and that “Dan Snyder has been held accountable.”The NFL fined the team $10 million last year and Snyder stepped away from its day-to-day operations after Wilkinson presented her findings to Goodell. However, the league did not release a written report of Wilkinson’s findings, a decision Goodell said was intended to protect the privacy of former employees who spoke to investigators.When announcing the discipline, the NFL said none of the people accused of sexual harassment still worked for the Washington franchise. But two separate accusations of sexual harassment by Snyder himself have since surfaced.Former employee Tiffani Johnston told the committee that Snyder groped her at a team dinner and tried to force her into his limousine, which Snyder denies. And The Washington Post reported Tuesday that a woman accused Snyder of sexually assaulting her on a team plane in 2009, resulting in a $1.6 million settlement.Johnston’s allegation prompted the NFL to hire former Securities and Exchange Commission chairwoman Mary Jo White to conduct a new investigation of Snyder and the team, and the league plans to release her findings to the public.Maloney has introduced legislation to curb the use of workplace nondisclosure agreements and to offer protections for employees whose professional images are used inappropriately. Among the accusations against the Commanders are that team employees produced a video of lewd outtakes from a photo shoot involving the cheerleading squad.AdvertisementAccording to the memo, Snyder used a defamation lawsuit against an obscure online media company based in India as a pretext to subpoena emails, phone records and text messages from former employees who spoke to The Washington Post about workplace harassment. The subpoenas were unusually broad, and many of the people targeted “had no plausible connection” to the Indian media company, the committee said.The committee also alleged that Snyder sought to blame former team president Bruce Allen for the problems with Washington’s workplace culture and that Snyder’s lawyers provided Wilkinson and the NFL with 400,000 emails from Allen’s account, highlighting specific ones they deemed “inappropriate.” Some email exchanges with Allen included homophobic and misogynistic comments by Jon Gruden, which were leaked to reporters last fall and prompted the Las Vegas Raiders to fire Gruden as their coach.Witnesses also told the committee that Snyder sent private investigators to their homes and offered them hush money. The NFL was aware of Snyder’s use of private investigators, according to documents obtained by the committee, but that did not stop the practice, witnesses said.Republicans on the committee accused Democrats of going after an NFL team to distract from more pressing issues and exceeding the scope of the committee’s mission.“A core responsibility of this committee is to conduct oversight of the executive branch, but this entire Congress, Democrats have turned a blind eye to the Biden administration,” said Kentucky GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee’s ranking member. “Instead, the Oversight committee is investigating a single private organization for workplace misconduct that occurred years ago.”

Sports

Who will the Chicago Bulls select with the No. 18 pick in the NBA draft? Here are 5 options.

It’s nearly time for the NBA draft and the Chicago Bulls are positioned to build on last season’s playoff appearance with the No. 18 pick.The draft has been a critical building block for the Bulls, whose recent selections of Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams created a new young core. So who will join the group alongside DeMar DeRozan and company?AdvertisementExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 12An emotional Ayo Dosunmu celebrates Thursday during a watch party at Bracket Room in Chicago after the Bulls selected him with the 38th pick in the NBA draft. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)2021: Ayo Dosunmu (38th overall)2020: Patrick Williams (4th overall) and Marko Simonović (44th overall)2019: Coby White (7th overall) and Daniel Gafford (38th overall)2018: Wendell Carter Jr. (7th overall) and Chandler Hutchison (22nd overall)2017: Justin Patton (16th overall, traded with Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen) and Jordan Bell (38th overall, traded to the Golden State Warriors for cash considerations)ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 133Bulls guard Zach LaVine and forward DeMar DeRozan head to their locker room after playing the Bucks at the United Center on April 24, 2022. The Bucks won 119-95 to take a 3-1 lead in their playoff series. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)The No. 18 pick is slightly lower hanging fruit than the first ten slots in the draft, but it still is a high enough position to select an impact player — or to leverage an effective trade for immediate payoff in the 2022-23 season.Heading into the offseason, executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas emphasized the Bulls are focused on keeping Zach LaVine in Chicago and making auxiliary trades to support the current All-Star core. That doesn’t mean a blockbuster trade is completely off the table, but the Bulls would be more likely to package the pick along with a bench player like Coby White to make a meaningful trade.AdvertisementThe Bulls could find depth in this year’s draft, which is steeped with enough talent to make even the lowest first-round picks remain appealing.Duke center Mark Williams (15) celebrates after his team defeated Arkansas in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament in San Francisco, March 26, 2022. (Tony Avelar/AP)Age: 20Position: CenterSchool: DukeHeight: 7-foot-2Weight: 242A powerful center who carves out a presence around the rim, Williams could be an immediate answer for the Bulls after a season desperately lacking size and strength in the paint. The biggest question is whether Williams will even fall this low — he is a hot prospect after recording the longest wingspan at the combine (7-foot-7) and breaking a Duke field goal percentage record (72.1% on over 100 attempts).E.J. Liddell answers reporters’ questions during the NBA draft combine at Wintrust Arena, May 19, 2022. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)Age: 21Position: ForwardSchool: Ohio StateHeight: 6-foot-7Weight: 243 poundsA lengthy forward with perimeter shooting range, Liddell could slot in as a role player after three seasons with Ohio State. Liddell’s most important asset for the Bulls would be interior defense, where he can provide shot blocking and size to back up Nikola Vučević.The fact Liddell grew up downstate in Belleville only adds to the Bulls’ recent effort to bring in Illinois talent like Dosunmu.Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan reacts after scoring during the second half against Norfolk State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, March 17, 2022. (LM Otero/AP)Age: 19Position: ForwardSchool: BaylorHeight: 6-foot-9Weight: 230Another defense-first forward to keep an eye on is Sochan, who made an impact on the Baylor front court during his only NCAA season. Sochan’s stock has been soaring since the combine — during which he named Draymond Green and Jrue Holiday as inspirations — so he might not be available when the Bulls make their pick. But if they can snatch him up, Sochan wouldimmediately impact a defense that needs reinforcement.Santa Clara guard Jalen Williams controls the ball during the second half of a game against Gonzaga, Feb. 19, 2022, in Spokane, Wash. (Young Kwak/AP)Age: 21Position: Guard/ForwardSchool: Santa ClaraHeight: 6-foot-6Weight: 209 poundsIf the Bulls don’t look for size in their draft selection, they could target a wing player with the versatility to slot in behind LaVine. Williams would be an obvious choice — a playmaking guard who averaged 18 points per game on 39.6% 3-point shooting for Santa Clara last season. Although he’s a little undersized, Williams would help the guard rotation.Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji celebrates after beating North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament final, April 4, 2022, in New Orleans. (Brynn Anderson/AP)Age: 22Position: Guard/ForwardSchool: KansasHeight: 6-foot-6Weight: 215 poundsIf the Bulls want to add a versatile guard, look no further than a recent national champion who finished his final season with Kansas as Big 12 Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. Agbaji is one of the more veteran players coming through the draft, and he consistently improved his shooting (averaging 18.8 points per game last season) and playmaking throughout his four-year career. That growth will need to continue to carve out a place in the NBA, but Agbaji’s versatility and defense on the wing could add a rotational improvement with a high ceiling for the future.