The on again off again legal troubles of Ezekiel Elliott stemming from a domestic violence incident with his ex-girlfriend in July have resurfaced in the wake of the NFL's mishandling of Giants kicker Josh Brown's case.
In early September, the Columbus (OH) City Attorney's Office decided not to pursue charges against Elliott because of "conflicting and inconsistent information." But soon after Brown was given just a one-game suspension by the league for abusing his ex-wife, resulting in a backlash from other players and the media, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy announced last week that the league was actively investigating Elliott's situation.
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Elliott's attorney, Frank Salzano, says the NFL revisiting his client's case is little more than a red herring meant to deflect negative press from its bungling of numerous domestic violence matters, Brown's being the latest.
"The media has chosen to deflect the recent negative press regarding the NFL's reported mishandling of several domestic violence matters by focusing on the NFL's prolonged investigation of Mr. Elliott," Salzano said. "The NFL's interview of Mr. Elliott was conducted over four weeks ago and went unreported at the time. As it was then, it still remains a non-story. We firmly believe that the NFL should promptly close its investigation which is only open because of their apprehensiveness stemming from the recent scrutiny it has come under for its handling of other domestic violence matters."
Meanwhile, Brown, who was never charged by police with domestic violence, was released from the Giants on Oct. 25.
