Attorney General for the District of Columbia DC, Karl Racine, has filed a lawsuit against the Washington Commanders, the team owner Dan Snyder, the National Football League and Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The civil lawsuit alleges the parties colluded to deceive the public about an investigation into the team’s toxic workplace culture and allegations of sexual assault

When announcing the lawsuit on Thursday, Racine said: “For years the team and its owner have caused very real and very serious harm and then lied about it to dodge accountability and to continue to rake in profits.”

“So far they seem to have gotten away with it, but that stops today,” he said.

Racine cites in the lawsuit the District of Columbia’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act, which allows the Attorney General to hold individuals or companies accountable for misleading customers.

Racine also said: “The evidence shows Mr. Snyder was not only aware of the toxic culture within his organisation. He encouraged it and he participated in it.”

“Mr. Snyder exerted a high level of personal control over everything the Commanders did, and his misconduct gave others permission to treat women in the same demeaning manner,” he said.

The Attorney General’s office is also seeking the results of the NFL’s investigation into the franchise that saw the league place a US$10 million fine on the Commanders.

The NFL responded to the allegation in a statement, saying: “Following the completion of the investigation, the NFL made public a summary of Ms. Wilkinson’s findings and imposed a record-setting fine against the club and its ownership.”

“We reject the legally unsound and factually baseless allegations made today by the DC attorney general against the NFL and Commissioner Goodell and will vigorously defend against those,” it said.