Mueller Report Released Regarding NFL's Ray Rice Investigation

Former FBI director Robert S. Mueller has released his report regarding the NFL's investigation into Ray Rice's domestic abuse incident.       

Continue for updates.

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Mueller Report Finds No Evidence NFL Saw Rice Video Before Release

Thursday, Dec. 8

The Mueller Report on the Ray Rice investigation was released. It found no evidence that the NFL saw the video prior to its public release, but found that the league had not taken sufficient steps to obtain the video:

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As to the first question, despite extensive investigation, we have found no evidence that anyone at the League received or viewed the in-elevator video prior to its public release. Likewise, we have found no evidence of a woman at the League acknowledging receipt of that video in a voicemail message left on April 9, 2014.

With respect to the second question, we have identified the investigative steps that the League took in the wake of the Rice incident, steps that reflect the League’s longstanding practice of deferring to law enforcement—a practice that can foster an environment in which it is less important to understand precisely what a player did than to understand how and when the criminal justice system addresses the event. In this case, that deference led to deficiencies in the League’s collection and analysis of information during its investigation. We conclude that there was substantial information about the incident that should have put the League on notice of a need to undertake a more thorough investigation to obtain available evidence of precisely what occurred inside the elevator. Had the League done so, it may have uncovered additional information about the incident, possibly including the in-elevator video prior to its public release.

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Mueller Report Expected After Holidays

Monday, Dec. 22

ESPN's Adam Schefter provided an update on the Ray Rice investigation:

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New Details on Mueller Investigation

Wednesday, Dec. 17

According to Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press (h/t The Denver Post), Mueller has acquired phone and email records from NFL headquarters in New York to aid in creating his report regarding the actions of the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell.     

Per ESPN's Andrew Brandt, Mueller's investigation has been ongoing for quite some time already:

The former Baltimore Ravens star was initially suspended for two games by the league for striking his then-fiancee Janay Palmer in an Atlantic City, New Jersey, casino elevator in February.

That ban was later amended to an indefinite suspension after video of the assault was released. It was later reported that the NFL had seen the video in April, but the league claimed that wasn't the case, per ESPN.com.

"We have no knowledge of this," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. "We are not aware of anyone in our office who possessed or saw the video before it was made public. We will look into it."

Rice has since been reinstated due to the double-jeopardy nature of the NFL's ruling.

The video discrepancy is currently the main focus of Mueller's investigation. It is unclear what actions will be taken if the phone and email records suggest that the NFL was aware of the video prior to its release in September, but it would undoubtedly be a major strike against Goodell.

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