Hours after a report claimed that the NFL did, indeed, receive the full Ray Rice video of him punching his then-fiance, the league announced an independent investigation into the matter. While it may be independent, it will still be overseen by two NFL owners.
Robert S. Mueller III, a former FBI director, has been picked to lead the investigation, the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Wednesday night. New York Giants owner John Mara and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney will oversee Mueller's investigation. Goodell vowed that the report would be made public.
“Mara and Rooney are both attorneys. Commissioner Goodell pledged that Director Mueller will have the full cooperation of NFL personnel and access to all NFL records,” the NFL’s statement read.
Mueller, who was FBI director from 2001 to 2013, is now a partner at the Washington DC law firm WilmerHale.
Earlier Wednesday, a report from the Associated Press claimed that the NFL had received the full footage of the February incident, in which Rice punched his then-fiance and now-wife Janay, back in April. Previously, Goodell and the NFL claimed that it did not have access to the tape, which was leaked to the public on Monday by TMZ Sports.
That has set off a firestorm and calls for Goodell’s resignation. Before the tape was released, the former Baltimore Ravens star was only suspended for two games. On Monday, after the tape came out, the Ravens terminated his contract and the NFL suspended him indefinitely. If the AP report is true, then Goodell looks even worse.
“We are not aware of anyone in our office who possessed or saw the video before it was made public on Monday,” the NFL said after the AP report came out. “We will look into it.”
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