AP reporter: I heard NFL voicemail about video

The AP reports that the Rice video was sent to NFL offices and addressed to the security chief. (USATSI)

On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that, back in April, a law enforcement official sent the surveillance video showing Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee in the face and knocking her unconscious to NFL headquarters to the attention of league security chief Jeffrey Miller.

"I unequivocally deny that I received at any time a copy of the video and I had not watched it until it was made public on September 8," Miller said in a statement a short time later.

On Sunday, the AP reporter who broke the story, Rob Maaddi, appeared on SportsCenter.

"That's what the NFL has said all along," Maaddi said in response to Miller's denial. "That is why they hired former FBI Director Robert Mueller to conduct this investigation and to figure out what happened. I believe Robert Mueller and his team will get to the bottom of it."

On whether Maadi heard the voicemail from the female NFL employee who confirmed the video had been received at league headquarters.

"Absolutely," Maaddi said. "With our standards of anonymous sources, that was the only reason we went forward with this story. We don't do 'he said, she said.' We had to have proof, whether it's audio, visual, email. And when I heard that voicemail, and saw that the number was from the NFL main office number, that's why we were able to go forward with it and confirm it."

When asked for clarification on exactly what happened, Maadi said: "I heard the voicemail, I looked at the caller ID number and I know that number is the NFL -- I called that number to confirm (it)."

Does Maadi or his source know the identity of the woman who left the voicemail?

"We do not," Maaddi said. "And that's the big question here. There are over 450 employees in the NFL. Countless people who go through there day in and day out. So we don't know who that source is. ... (The source) had sent (the tape to NFL headquarters) about 7-10 days prior before getting that confirmation call. So we don't know who that woman is or who she gave it to. ... My source had no further communication with anyone else.

"And let's be clear here: We have never, ever accused the NFL, Roger Goodell or Jeffrey Miller of viewing the video, or any wrongdoing. All we have stated is that the video was in the building and a woman called to confirm she received it. Who that woman is, that's the key to solving this puzzle."

Maadi's law enforcement source was not authorized to send the NFL the surveillance video so why did he do it?

"He wanted the NFL to know what happened exactly inside the elevator before they issued their punishment to Ray Rice," Maaddi said. "(The source) knows there are other ways and other means for the NFL to obtain that video but just in case they didn't go down those channels, he wanted to send it."

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