David Gregory of NBC's Meet the Press is under fire from conservatives for displaying a 30-bullet magazine on TV because such high-capacity ammunition gear is illegal in Washington D.C.
Things started looking worse for NBC yesterday when news emerged that D.C. police were investigating the news segment at issue.
Moreover, NBC reportedly asked D.C. police specifically if it could use the magazine, and the cops told the network that the high-capacity magazine was "not permissible."
But a report from The New York Times today sheds some light on why NBC might have been confused about the legality of the magazine, which Gregory held up while interviewing the NRA's Wayne LaPierre.
An NBC official contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to ask if it would be legal for Gregory to display the magazine on TV without the bullets in it, a federal official told The Times.
The ATF, which enforces federal laws and not the District's statutes, told the official it would be legal, according to The Times.
Afterwards, the conservative blogosphere lit up with criticism of Gregory, and the police probe ensued.
NBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
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