Blumenthal Statement On NFL Handling Of Ray Rice Video

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today released the following statement after the Associated Press reported the NFL saw video in April of Ray Rice battering his fiancée, contradicting statements made earlier today by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell:

“Recent reports that the NFL had the Ray Rice battering video point to Roger Goodell's burgeoning, insurmountable credibility gap. If these reports are true, Commissioner Goodell must go, for the good of the NFL and its fans. The current leadership of the NFL cannot be trusted to fairly, genuinely implement policies that address domestic violence. As Roger Goodell himself said several years ago when allegations arose that the New Orleans Saints offered bounties for injuring opponents, ‘ignorance is not an excuse.’ The NFL has an obligation to do better, and a position of public trust – benefiting from broad anti-trust exemptions granted by Congress, and hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer benefits. If these allegations are true, Roger Goodell is part of the problem, and he is incapable of achieving a real solution.”