ASHBURN, Va. -- The agent for Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson took issue with the team invoking his client's shooting in their preemptive response to the District of Columbia attorney general's upcoming announcement regarding the organization.
Earlier Wednesday, the office of D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine announced he will hold a 1 p.m. news conference Thursday to "make a major announcement related to the Washington Commanders."
It is presently unknown what Racine will be announcing. His office has been investigating the Commanders for more than six months, as has the Virginia attorney general, over allegations that the organization engaged in financial improprieties. The U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of Virginia has also opened a criminal investigation into the allegations, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to ESPN last week.
A Commanders spokesperson, in a statement Wednesday night, pushed back on the attorney general's possible announcement and in doing so made reference to Robinson, who in August was shot twice in the right leg during a robbery attempt while going to a restaurant in D.C.
"Less than three months ago, a 23-year-old player on our team was shot multiple times, in broad daylight," the statement began. "Despite the out-of-control violent crime in DC, today the Washington Commanders learned for the first time on Twitter that the D.C. Attorney General will be holding a press conference to 'make a major announcement' related to the organization tomorrow."
Robinson needed surgery on his right knee, but he did not suffer any internal damage and was able to play in a game six weeks later, becoming a feel-good story for the franchise.
His agent, Ryan Williams, was unaware of Robinson's inclusion in the statement until it became public.
"Up until an hour ago, the Commanders handled the Brian Robinson situation with so much care, sincerity and class," Williams wrote in a tweet. "And I was so grateful for all of it. Although I know that there are some great humans in that building, whoever is hiding behind this statement is not one of them."
Up until an hour ago, the Commanders handled the Brian Robinson situation with so much care, sincerity and class. And I was so grateful for all of it.
— Ryan Williams (@RyanWilliamsA1) November 10, 2022
Although I know that there are some great humans in that building, whoever is hiding behind this statement is not one of them. https://t.co/cnD0DtUfqm
Commanders president Jason Wright, when reached for comment Wednesday night, said that the statement "expressed our external counsel's ongoing frustration with the Attorney General's office, as they have been nothing but earnest and transparent in their communications with his team."
Wright noted in his statement that the lawyers' frustrations "should have been separate and apart from referencing the terrible crime that affected our player."
Wright also said that he spoke with Chief Robert Contee of the D.C. Metropolitan Police on Wednesday night and conveyed the organization's support of the MPD and those "working to reduce gun violence and crime across the region."
The D.C. Metro police have arrested two suspects in connection with Robinson's shooting. The D.C. Attorney General's office is not responsible for prosecuting armed robbery or attempted murder, which falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Attorney General's office since it's a federal district.
The statement from the Commanders spokesperson continued, "The Commanders have fully cooperated with the AG's investigation for nearly a year. As recently as Monday, a lawyer for the team met with the AG who did not suggest at that time that he intended to take any action and, in fact, revealed fundamental misunderstandings of the underlying facts. It is unfortunate that, in his final days in office, Mr. Racine appears more interested in making splashy headlines, based on offbeat legal theories, rather than doing the hard work of making the streets safe for our citizens, including bringing to justice the people who shot one of our players."