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Homes Not Stadiums Files Ethics Complaint Against Washington Commanders for Failing to Disclose Lobbying Activities

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Homes Not Stadiums, a DC-based ballot initiative campaign committee, filed a formal complaint with the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA) alleging that the Washington Commanders violated the District of Columbia’s Ethics Act by failing to fully and accurately disclose lobbying activities and expenditures in their second quarter 2025 lobbying reports.

According to the complaint, the Commanders failed to report numerous lobbying-related communications and expenditures required under D.C. Code § 1–1162.30, despite engaging in an aggressive campaign to secure over a billion dollars public funding for a new NFL stadium at the RFK site.

“This isn’t a technical oversight. It’s a deliberate failure to comply with transparency laws while attempting to influence city leaders behind closed doors,” said Kris Furnish, proposer of the Homes Not Stadiums ballot initiative . “D.C. residents deserve to know who is spending money to influence our elected officials—especially when public land and taxpayer dollars are on the line.”

The complaint cites several likely violations, including:

• A May 5 closed-door meeting between Commanders owner Josh Harris, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, and nearly every D.C. Councilmember, which was not disclosed in lobbying reports;
  
• Undisclosed digital advertising urging residents to pressure Councilmembers, aired in May on X (formerly Twitter);
  
• At least two separate town hall events in May, where the Commanders’ lobbyists spoke alongside Councilmembers and senior District officials—neither of which were reported;
  
• A June 26 corporate-sponsored event, “Welcoming the Commanders Back to DC- The Future of RFK Stadium & Hill East,” featuring the Mayor and Councilmember Wendell Felder, which was omitted entirely from the lobbying filings;
  
• And a lobbying dinner at Café Milano on June 30 for Councilmembers, where the Commanders reported attendance but failed to disclose any associated costs, in potential violation of both lobbying and gift rules.

“This is a textbook case of shadow lobbying,” Furnish added. “The public has a right to know the true cost of this lobbying campaign—and whether our elected officials are being wined and dined by billionaires while critical needs like affordable housing go unmet.”

Homes Not Stadiums is urging BEGA to investigate the omissions, enforce penalties for noncompliance, and compel the Commanders to submit a revised and truthful lobbying report.  The complaint was submitted directly to BEGA Director Ashley Cooks and includes documentation from media reports linked above.

“We are not opposed to better housing, parks, or community development,” emphasized Furnish. “But these tactics betray public trust—and taxpayers should not foot the bill for a stadium whose promoters appear more interested in backroom influence than public benefit.”

Homes Not Stadiums is a ballot initiative campaign committee dedicated to stopping the Mayor’s taxpayer giveaway at the RFK stadium campus and redirecting public funds toward vital housing, infrastructure, and community services—instead of propping up professional sports franchises. We believe in ethical, transparent democracy and meaningful investment in DC’s resilient neighborhoods. Visit HomesNotStadiums.org to read the complaint and the ballot initiative text.

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Homes Not Stadiums Ballot Initiative Campaign Responds to Legal Hurdles and Will Resubmit New Initiative 

Campaign Demands DC Council Hold a Referendum in lieu of Ballot Initiative if DCBOE Ultimately Won’t Approve Ballot Measure

WASHINGTON, DC — Homes Not Stadiums, a ballot initiative campaign working to block the construction of a publicly funded professional football stadium on the RFK Stadium site, is preparing next steps as the D.C. Board of Elections prepares for a proper subject matter hearing scheduled for July 2, 2025.

The Board has received advisory opinions from both the Office of the General Counsel of the D.C. Council and the Office of the Attorney General of the District of Columbia suggesting that the current version of the Homes Not Stadiums ballot initiative may not qualify as “proper subject matter” under District law. Based on those advisory opinions, the campaign has decided to resubmit ballot language that we believe will achieve the same goals. 

“We are exploring all legal options to see a new neighborhood for families rise from the rubble of RFK Stadium.  The ballot measure we want is alive and well as we are pivoting by resubmitting new language that should pass muster,” says ballot initiative proposer Kris Furnish. “The residents of D.C. do not want to see the budgets of essential government programs get slashed, while at the same time see billions in corporate handouts.  D.C. residents want to see the RFK site used for affordable housing, public parks, recreational centers, grocery stores, and a monument to D.C. statehood— not another billionaire-backed stadium.”

The Homes Not Stadiums campaign is currently drafting revised legislative text that complies with D.C. ballot initiative law for resubmission. Once resubmitted, the subject matter hearing will be rescheduled and two new advisory opinions will be issued. The campaign is also exploring legal action to prevent the use of taxpayer dollars to support stadium construction. To grow awareness and mobilize support citywide, Homes Not Stadiums will soon be putting up campaign posters in all 8 wards of the District.

Should a satisfactory ballot initiative ultimately be prevented from going forward, the campaign is calling upon the DC Council to pass legislation that would let voters decide through a referendum. Ballot initiatives cannot directly influence government spending, but DC Council sponsored referendums can. 

“The RFK site belongs to the people — and across all 8 wards people are saying clearly: we need affordable homes, not stadiums, so why not let voters decide?,” concluded Furnish.For more information or to join the campaign,  please visit HomesNotStadiums.org or follow @HomesNotStadiums on BlueSky.

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The Campaign for Homes Not Stadiums Submits Ballot Initiative to Prevent New Stadium on RFK Grounds

Concerned Citizens Aim to Stop the Trend of Billionaires Fleecing Taxpayers  

Earlier this year, the 174 acre RFK Memorial Stadium grounds was transferred to the District of Columbia government and there are currently plans to use taxpayer money to finance the construction of a new stadium. The campaign believes that the land would better serve the citizens of the District of Columbia as affordable housing instead of a stadium.  

“DC does not need another stadium. It needs more affordable homes and apartments for people like myself to have families,” says Kris Furnish, proposer and current renter. “Professional sports teams have billions of dollars at their disposal and do not need taxpayer dollars to finance their overpriced playgrounds.”

Ballot initiatives in DC are prohibited from appropriating taxpayer dollars. In order to bypass this flaw in DC’s ballot initiative law, concerned citizens will ask voters to create a “Special Purpose Zone,” similar to the zone that was created for Reservation 13, the 67 acre parcel of land adjacent to the RFK Memorial Stadium grounds that was transferred to DC from Congress in 2006 and is now known as Hill East Development District.

“Zoning laws shape the land around us. They dictate the height of buildings, the type of buildings, and showcase the intent of citizens to create a vision for their neighborhoods, “ says Adam Eidinger, treasurer of the campaign. “When Congress returned the land back to DC, they stipulated that 30% would become Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Park, but the rest of the land needs to be zoned for the best interests of voters, not billionaires.”

Next the DCBOE will seek advisory opinions from the Office of the DC Attorney General and the General Counsel for the DC Council as well as a Fiscal Impact Statement from the Chief Financial Officer. Based on these opinions, the Board will hold a hearing on whether the initiative is proper subject matter. Should the initiative be found to be proper subject matter, the campaign would be issued ballot access petitions later this year and if 5% of DC voters sign the petition, the question would be put on the primary election ballot in June 2026.

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