NFL given Ray Rice video months ago, law enforcement source says

A law enforcement official said he sent a video of Ray Rice punching Janay Palmer, his then-fiancée, to an NFL executive months ago, even though league officers have insisted they did not see the violent images until this week.

The official played a 12-second April 9 voice mail from an NFL office number for The Associated Press. The voice mail confirmed the video arrived. A voice expresses thanks and says, “You're right. It's terrible.”

The official, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, said the NFL never followed up and could not confirm if anyone at the NFL watched the video.

The person said he shared the video — which he was unauthorized to release — because he wanted the NFL to have it before deciding on Rice's punishment.

However, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to the league’s 32 teams on Wednesday, reiterating that the NFL never saw the video of Rice's actions before Monday. 

Goodell told the teams that none of the law enforcement entities the league approached “was permitted to provide any video or other investigatory material to us.” He said the league did not directly ask for the video from the Atlantic City casino where the incident took place. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said Tuesday in a letter to fans that the team tried to get the video from both the casino and law enforcement. The casino would not share it, and the authorities refused, he said.

Goodell stressed his confidence in how the NFL will deal with domestic violence and sexual assault in the future — "seriously and effectively."

The NFL says former FBI director Robert S. Mueller III will conduct a probe into how the NFL handled evidence as it investigated domestic violence claims against Rice, who has been indefinitely suspended from the NFL and released by the Ravens.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement that the investigation will be overseen by NFL owners John Mara of the New York Giants and Art Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Goodell will grant Mueller access to all NFL records, the statement said.

Meanwhile, 12 Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have sent a letter to Goodell questioning his handling of the Rice incident.

The letter says the NFL's high profile demands "the highest level of transparency" concerning how the league investigates allegations of misconduct.

The letter notes Goodell's statements in media interviews that the league did not see until Monday the highly publicized video of Rice punching Palmer. The letter also says Goodell and the NFL have not stated how aggressively the league sought to obtain the video or how law enforcement agencies responded.

The letter is signed by Michigan Rep. John Conyers, who is the senior Democrat on the committee, and 11 other Democrats. 

The Associated Press