The Washington Nationals let go of community relations executive Sean Hudson on Friday after a hidden-camera video spread online and put the club under fresh scrutiny. Jason Sinnarajah, the team’s president of business operations, acknowledged during the Nationals.TV pregame show that Hudson was no longer employed by the club.

The video, posted Tuesday by the O'Keefe Media Group, had already drawn 4 million views on X by Friday and appeared to capture Hudson talking in a public setting with an undercover citizen journalist. In it, Hudson discussed internal team matters, including the handling of pitcher Trevor Williams after Williams condemned the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023 for hosting the Sisterhood of Perpetual Indulgence at their stadium. Sinnarajah apologized to Williams and said the team hoped the situation had not been a distraction as he gets ready to get back on the field.

“We feel awful that he has been dragged into this situation, and hope this hasn’t been a distraction as he gets ready to get back on the field, which we’re excited to have him back on,” Sinnarajah said. He also said Williams remained “a valued member of the organization” and noted that the club had recognized him last year as its Roberto Clemente award honoree.

The Nationals denied the claims that surfaced in the recording. Earlier this week, a team spokesperson said the club had issued no directive regarding Williams and said he had appeared in posts over the past couple of seasons. Sinnarajah also rejected allegations that the organization is anti-Catholic, tracks people’s search history or hides players from social media. Hudson, who was not on the Nationals’ social team, was shown in the video saying the club avoided using Williams in some online content after the pitcher’s comments about the Dodgers.

That clash is what gives the story its force today: the team has moved quickly to remove Hudson, but the public dispute over what was said inside the organization is still open. Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado has urged the Justice Department to investigate alleged religious discrimination against Nationals players, and the club now has to manage the fallout while Williams tries to return from injury and the video keeps circulating far beyond Washington.