Who could have guessed that the city of Washington, DC would refuse to enforce one of its own laws because the guy who broke it is a good little apparatchik?

Courtesy of William A. Jacobson, here’s the DC Attorney General’s statement:

Having carefully reviewed all of the facts and circumstances of this matter, as it does in every case involving firearms-related offenses or any other potential violation of D.C. law within our criminal jurisdiction, OAG has determined to exercise its prosecutorial discretion to decline to bring criminal charges against Mr. Gregory, who has no criminal record, or any other NBC employee based on the events associated with the December 23,2012 broadcast. OAG has made this determination, despite the clarity of the violation of this important law, because under all of the circumstances here a prosecution would not promote public safety in the District of Columbia nor serve the best interests of the people of the District to whom this office owes its trust. Influencing our judgment in this case, among other things, is our recognition that the intent of the temporary possession and short display of the magazine was to promote the First Amendment purpose of informing an ongoing public debate about firearms policy in the United States, especially while this subject was foremost in the minds of the public following the previously mentioned events in Connecticut and the President’s speech to the nation about them. There were, however, other legal means available to demonstrate the point and to pursue this line of questioning with the guest that were suggested to NBC and that could have and should have been pursued.

OAG also appreciates that the magazine was immediately returned to the source that NBC understood to be its lawful owner outside of the District and that the magazine in question, with NBC’s assistance, has been surrendered to MPD. OAG also recognizes the cooperation NBC has provided in the investigation of this matter.

“Despite the clarity of the violation of this important law.” In other words, there’s no question that Gregory broke the law. It just doesn’t matter because he’s a nice guy and they like him.

I wonder how many people who’ve been arrested for violating DC’s gun laws — which the cops didn’t even bother to do with Gregory — have gotten away with it because they don’t have a criminal record and they express the correct opinions? Does that particular law say anything about whether or not you’re a threat to public safety? Or does it say you’re not allowed to possess a certain object? Either you possess it or you don’t. Gregory did. It was on TV and everything. He made sure people saw him wave an illegal ammunition magazine in Wayne LaPierre’s face.

First we had “fake but accurate.” Then, thanks to our friends in the fact-checking genre, we had “true but false.” Now we have “guilty but innocent.”

David Gregory is a gun criminal. And until he pays for his crime, a gun criminal he will remain.

Update: David Gregory and wife knew DC Attorney General. Well, of course they do.