( CNN ) -- The NFL has a simple answer for critics who claim the league should have been able to get videos of Ray Rice knocking out his future wife and dragging her out of an elevator . It would have been illegal , Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a memo Wednesday to the top officials of the NFL 's 32 teams . `` Once a criminal investigation begins , law enforcement authorities do not share investigatory material ( such as the videos here ) with private parties such as the NFL , '' he wrote in a note to chief executives and club presidents . `` In addition , ( New Jersey 's ) Open Public Records Act excludes material that is generated in the context of an active law enforcement proceeding . '' The Associated Press , however , reported Wednesday that a law enforcement official said he sent a copy of the video in April to an NFL executive and someone called him from an NFL office phone to thank him for sending the video . The NFL reacted to the story by saying the league is unaware of anyone in its office having the video in their possession and officials would look into the report . NFL toughens domestic violence policy with six-game bans . Rice has been suspended indefinitely from the NFL and was cut by the Baltimore Ravens after a video surfaced this week showing him punching Janay Rice , who at the time was his fiancee , in an elevator in Atlantic City on February 15 . Rice was eventually charged with third-degree assault by Atlantic County prosecutors , but as a first-time offender was able to enter into a diversionary program . If he successfully completes the program in one year , the charge will be removed from his record . Timeline of events in the Ray Rice story . Critics have said the NFL should have been able to get the videos and should have banned Rice for life instead of initially giving him a two-game suspension . The ban was increased after the in-elevator video was posted online by TMZ Sports on Monday . It was the second dramatic video in the case . The first showed the aftermath of the ferocious blow . In it Rice drags his unconscious fiancee off the elevator and talks to a security staffer . Goodell does n't rule out a return for Rice . Goodell also said the hotel could n't legally provide the video to the NFL because of the investigation into the incident . `` We did not ask the Atlantic City casino directly for the video , '' he wrote . `` Again , our understanding of New Jersey law is that the casino is prohibited from turning over material to a third party during a law enforcement proceeding , and that doing so would have subjected individuals to prosecution for interference with a criminal investigation . '' Goodell said the Rice legal proceedings are still an `` open matter . '' NFL 's past penalties for domestic violence ' a different story ' TMZ executive producer Harvey Levin told CNN 's `` The Lead with Jake Tapper '' on Tuesday that they paid for the videos . `` I think what happened was the casino closed . And when the casino closed , I think there were a lot of employees who just said , you know what : 'We want to do the right thing . ' And ultimately we ended up getting this video because when you look at the video , clearly you see the NFL did not do the right thing , '' Levin said of the second video . `` And I think at a point somebody said that the gain here is worse than the risk , in terms of doing what 's right . '' The Revel casino closed eight days ago . The Baltimore Sun petitioned for the release of the elevator video under the Freedom of Information Act , but its request was denied by New Jersey officials . What if Goodell ran the NBA and Silver captained the NFL ?
NJ law prohibits release of certain evidence during legal matters , TMZ Sports boss says . Goodell sends memo to all two teams explaining why league had n't seen video until one year . NFL posted a video online showing Janay Rice punching his future wife . Critics said the NFL should also have been able to get the video and an earlier one .