This archive report was first published on 15 October 2021.
Washington Team President Daniel Snyder and NFL lawyer Jeff Pash's friendship was more than just a professional relationship. The two men exchanged heartfelt holiday greetings, with Pash emailing Snyder in January 2013 to congratulate him on making the playoffs.
“Happy New Year — even though 2012 was not the easiest year in many respects, I continue to value our relationship and your advice,” Pash wrote.
But their friendship wasn't limited to just holiday greetings. In September 2010, Snyder told Pash that his decision not to give NFL Players Association head DeMaurice Smith a field pass to a Washington home game had angered Smith. “New sheriff in town,” Pash responded to Snyder, who was in his first year with the club.
Allen told Pash that a union spokesman would call Snyder to complain. “That should be a short conversation,” Pash replied.
Despite their close friendship, Pash and Snyder were united in their disdain for DeMaurice Smith, Pash's adversary in the 2011 labor negotiations. Pash was not shy about saying how much his wife and family loved the team, and Snyder sent Pash the club's fight song after rare Washington victories.
When Snyder's brother, George, ran for the U.S. Senate from Virginia in 2012, Pash donated $1,000 to his campaign. The pair also exchanged gifts, with Snyder sending Pash a Hooters VIP card.
