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| Senator pressures Goodell over possible 'lies' and 'cover-up' in Ray Rice case | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar, who this week wrote to the NFL commissioner to demand a “zero tolerance” policy on cases of domestic violence involving players, on Sunday increased the pressure on Roger Goodell by questioning whether the league’s response to the Ray Rice case had involved “any cover-up” or “any lies”. | The Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar, who this week wrote to the NFL commissioner to demand a “zero tolerance” policy on cases of domestic violence involving players, on Sunday increased the pressure on Roger Goodell by questioning whether the league’s response to the Ray Rice case had involved “any cover-up” or “any lies”. |
| The Democrat, one of 14 Democratic and two Republican women senators who signed the letter to Goodell, said: “I want to see if there is any cover-up, if there are any lies. There are many situations in which he should step down. But I want to see the evidence, what the facts are.” | The Democrat, one of 14 Democratic and two Republican women senators who signed the letter to Goodell, said: “I want to see if there is any cover-up, if there are any lies. There are many situations in which he should step down. But I want to see the evidence, what the facts are.” |
| Later on Sunday Greg Hardy, one of two players who had been playing while the subject of a domestic violence case, was deactivated by the Carolina Panthers. Hardy is appealing a guilty verdict handed down in July, over assaulting and threatening an ex-girlfriend, and played in the Panthers’ season opener. | |
| The San Francisco 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald, who was arrested, jailed and bailed in August over an allegation of assaulting his fiancee, had not been deactivated. The 49ers were due to face the Chicago Bears on Sunday evening. | |
| Klobuchar, who was appearing on CNN’s State of the Union talkshow alongside Mike Wise, a Washington Post sports columnist, spoke at the end of a controversial week for the league that began with the release on Monday of a video showing Rice, then a Baltimore Ravens running back, punching Janay Palmer, then his fiancee, in the face in an elevator at an Atlantic City casino. On Friday, the Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was indicted on charges of child abuse, relating to the beating of his four-year-old son. | Klobuchar, who was appearing on CNN’s State of the Union talkshow alongside Mike Wise, a Washington Post sports columnist, spoke at the end of a controversial week for the league that began with the release on Monday of a video showing Rice, then a Baltimore Ravens running back, punching Janay Palmer, then his fiancee, in the face in an elevator at an Atlantic City casino. On Friday, the Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was indicted on charges of child abuse, relating to the beating of his four-year-old son. |
| In Texas on Saturday, Peterson was released on bail after turning himself in to police. | |
| Rice, who did not contest a charge of aggravated assault arising from the incident, which occurred in February, was initially fined and banned for two regular-season games, prompting widespread criticism of the NFL and a revision of the league’s suspensions policy regarding such cases. | Rice, who did not contest a charge of aggravated assault arising from the incident, which occurred in February, was initially fined and banned for two regular-season games, prompting widespread criticism of the NFL and a revision of the league’s suspensions policy regarding such cases. |
| After the release of the new video, by the website TMZ, the Ravens released Rice and the NFL announced his indefinite suspension. The league has subsequently come under pressure over what it knew about the video and when, leading to calls for Goodell to resign. | After the release of the new video, by the website TMZ, the Ravens released Rice and the NFL announced his indefinite suspension. The league has subsequently come under pressure over what it knew about the video and when, leading to calls for Goodell to resign. |
| Klobuchar said: “First of all, I’m a former prosecutor and I think what you need to do is look at all the evidence and all the facts. I think Robert Mueller [the former FBI director appointed to investigate the NFL’s handling of the Rice case] is a good man and hopefully he will get all the facts out, because I have a feeling there are a lot of people who know stuff about what went on here. | Klobuchar said: “First of all, I’m a former prosecutor and I think what you need to do is look at all the evidence and all the facts. I think Robert Mueller [the former FBI director appointed to investigate the NFL’s handling of the Rice case] is a good man and hopefully he will get all the facts out, because I have a feeling there are a lot of people who know stuff about what went on here. |
| “You have a situation where a man knocked a woman out cold on an elevator. There’s a tape that clearly shows what happened. I think most employers would look for all the evidence, [and] give a temporary suspension while they were looking at the evidence. | “You have a situation where a man knocked a woman out cold on an elevator. There’s a tape that clearly shows what happened. I think most employers would look for all the evidence, [and] give a temporary suspension while they were looking at the evidence. |
| “But the fact that they gave only a two-game suspension and then turned around in public and said, ‘Oh, we made a mistake, we’re going to let him go,’ I think that’s problematic for the NFL … concerning about how they handle these kinds of cases.” | “But the fact that they gave only a two-game suspension and then turned around in public and said, ‘Oh, we made a mistake, we’re going to let him go,’ I think that’s problematic for the NFL … concerning about how they handle these kinds of cases.” |
| Wise, befitting his situation as a member of the press, was more forthright. “I’m going to jump the gun on the senator,” he said. “I think Roger Goodell does need to go. For myriad reasons, but at the very least he’s going to come out of this investigation incompetent, at the very worst maybe duplicitous and lying about what he knew about the video tape.” | Wise, befitting his situation as a member of the press, was more forthright. “I’m going to jump the gun on the senator,” he said. “I think Roger Goodell does need to go. For myriad reasons, but at the very least he’s going to come out of this investigation incompetent, at the very worst maybe duplicitous and lying about what he knew about the video tape.” |
| Klobuchar also commended the Vikings for their prompt action regarding Peterson, who did not attend their game on Sunday. | |
| “I’m a big fan and I grew up with the Vikings,” said Klobuchar. “Nevertheless, this is a four-year-old child and it’s a very serious allegation. | “I’m a big fan and I grew up with the Vikings,” said Klobuchar. “Nevertheless, this is a four-year-old child and it’s a very serious allegation. |
| “I am very glad that the first things that have happened here are different from the [Ray] Rice case. The Rice case didn’t happen during the season, but the Ravens didn’t do something immediately. | “I am very glad that the first things that have happened here are different from the [Ray] Rice case. The Rice case didn’t happen during the season, but the Ravens didn’t do something immediately. |
| “What the Vikings have done is immediately deactivate him. He’s not playing in the game today with the [New England] Patriots, and I’m sure they’re gathering the evidence, looking at it, hearing what he has to say but mostly looking at the pictures that are out there and everything, and I’m sure they will make a decision and the prosecutor will pursue the case. | “What the Vikings have done is immediately deactivate him. He’s not playing in the game today with the [New England] Patriots, and I’m sure they’re gathering the evidence, looking at it, hearing what he has to say but mostly looking at the pictures that are out there and everything, and I’m sure they will make a decision and the prosecutor will pursue the case. |
| “Again, this is a four-year-old boy.” | “Again, this is a four-year-old boy.” |