Commanders settle with DC officials on season-ticket deposits

The Washington Commanders and Washington D.C. Attorney General’s Office settled a lawsuit over fans’ season-ticket deposits, officials announced Monday.

The agreement returns $200,000 to fans and pays $425,000 to the district to resolve allegations related to the deposits, Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb said. His predecessor, Karl A. Racine, filed the consumer protection lawsuit late last year before he left office.

“Rather than being transparent and upfront in their ticket sale practices, the Commanders unlawfully took advantage of their fan base, holding on to security deposits instead of returning them,” Schwalb said in a statement. “Under this settlement agreement, our office will maintain strict oversight over the Commanders to ensure all necessary steps are taken to reimburse fans for the refunds they are entitled to.”

Additionally, the Commanders need to conduct a public records search for contact information for affected fans and attempt to notify them, disclose the refund process on their website and provide the Attorney General’s Office with regular reports documenting their progress.

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“We have not accepted security deposits or seat licenses in more than a decade and have been actively working to return any remaining deposits since 2014,” the Commanders said in an email to The Associated Press. 

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement on the matter with the D.C. attorney general and will work with the office to fulfill our obligations to our fans.”

Washington previously settled with Maryland on season-ticket holder deposits. The organization agreed to return money and pay the state $250,000.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.