I’ve joked in the past that one of the hidden benefits of having a superyacht comes from the ability of the owner to hide out on the boat indefinitely, in order to avoid service of process. It may not be a joke.
The Wall Street Journal recently delved into the question of whether Snyder is using the upgraded S.S. Minnow with the goal of avoiding a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee.
Why else would Snyder’s lawyer flatly refuse to accept service of the subpoena on her client’s behalf? The inescapable message from her client is this: Good freakin’ luck.
So let’s play this out. Snyder reported will be out of the country into August. Would he continue to cruise through international waters and/or dock in foreign ports until after the November election, assuming the Republicans retake the House? Although the new Congress wouldn’t officially take over until January, there’s not much time for meaningful work in a lame-duck period that includes the holiday season.
He’d have to be willing to not attend any Commanders games. Would he do that? He’d have to be willing to absorb all criticism that would come from the perception/reality that he’s staying out of the country in order to avoid being required to testify before Congress. Given the criticism he already experiences, how much more can there be?
The league doesn’t seem to care. They continue to be, by all appearances, afraid of Snyder. Thus, we fully expect the league office to continue to sit silently while Snyder floats lazily in any of the various oceans or seas, for a three-hour tour or something a lot longer than that.