OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A House Democrat is staring at an ethics probe after he agreed to participate in a fundraising event with a pair of lobbyists who were linked to a campaign to have Dan Snyder, the owner of the NFL’s Washington Commanders, removed.
According to a claim filed by the American Accountability Foundation, Rep. Raja Kirshnamoorthi (D-Ill.) allegedly violated House ethics rules by attending the fundraiser.
Fox News reported: “The American Accountability Foundation says Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., may have violated House ethics rules by agreeing to appear at a May fundraiser hosted by the lobbying duo Mike and Tom Manatos. The brothers have a long history of opposing Snyder, with Tom Manatos even running a website dedicated to pushing negative content about the team owner.”
“It’s clear that Rep. Krishnamoorthi, members of his staff, and perhaps others, violated House ethics rules and the federal bribery statute by raising — and agreeing to accept — campaign donations in exchange for using the power of the Oversight Committee to investigate and permanently damage the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins at the behest of wealthy lobbyists with an ax to grind against their local sports franchise,” said Tom Jones, the head of the American Accountability Base.
“The language in the invitation linking a fundraiser to Rep. Krishnamoorthi’s role in the investigation of the team is evidence of a corrupt quid pro quo to cause damage to the team and its leadership,” Jones added. “By canceling the event, Rep. Krishnamoorthi not only revealed his guilty conscience but also underscored the scope of his violation of both House and federal statutes.”
🚨NEW from @FoxNews:
"The American Accountability Foundation says Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., may have violated House ethics rules by agreeing to appear at a May fundraiser hosted by the lobbying duo Mike & Tom Manatos"
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— American Accountability Foundation (@ExposingBiden) July 30, 2022
“The organization sent a formal letter to the House Ethics Committee on Friday urging an investigation into the congressman’s conduct. In it, the government watchdog argues that Krishnamoorthi may not only have broken House ethics rules but also could have violated federal laws regarding bribery,” Fox News added.
“Krishnamoorthi has played a leading role in investigating Snyder and the Commanders as a senior member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. House ethics rules prohibit members from accepting gifts or campaign donations if they are directly linked to official legislative business,” the network’s report continued.
Mike Manatos initially pitched the fundraiser in an email to attendees as an opportunity to discuss with Krishnamoorthi the ongoing investigation into the team.
“The one person in Washington who may have found a path to getting rid of Snyder [as the team’s owner] is my good friend and Chairman of the House Oversight Subcommittee, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi,” Manatos wrote. “Tom and I hope you can join us on May 10 as a small group of us meets with Raja to discuss his efforts.”
Leftists for years have attacked Snyder and sought to dislodge him from owning the team over his resistance to changing the ‘Redskins’ name over dubious claims it was racist.
Snyder eventually succumbed to pressure to change the name in 2020, in the wake of protests and violence following George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis. While some Native American activists were pushing for the change, it is likely that the threat of sponsors pulling out of supporting the team and FedEx Field, where the team plays its home games, had an outsized influence on the decision, as well as pressure from the league itself.
Honor the past. Embrace the future.
Making the Brand: Path Forward » https://t.co/hIzbgs1ZIp
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 12, 2021
For his part, Snyder vowed in the past that he would never change the team’s name, describing the moniker as a “badge of honor” regarding Native Americans. And a Washington Post survey released in May 2016 found that nine out of 10 Native Americans did not find the name offensive at all.
“The survey of 504 people across every state and the District reveals that the minds of Native Americans have remained unchanged since a 2004 poll by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found the same result. Responses to The Post’s questions about the issue were broadly consistent regardless of age, income, education, political party or proximity to reservations,” the paper reported at the time.
“Among the Native Americans reached over a five-month period ending in April, more than 7 in 10 said they did not feel the word ‘Redskin’ was disrespectful to Indians. An even higher number — 8 in 10 — said they would not be offended if a non-native called them that name,” the Post added.
