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The attorney general of D.C. has received the complete police investigation into David Gregory's apparently illegal use of a high-capacity magazine clip as a prop on Meet the Press, and will soon decide whether or not it actually has a case against Gregory. During his December 23 interview with the NRA's Wayne LaPierre, the Meet the Press host held up a device that, in the District of Columbia (where Meet the Press is filmed), carries a $1,000 fine and a one-year jail sentence: precisely the sort of measure that Gregory defended in his prosecution of the N.R.A.'s stance toward gun control. Here's a clip:

The incident provided instant fodder for conservative media — Breitbart.com and The Daily Caller relished it as a lucid moment of hypocrisy — while media critics like Howard Kurtz came to Gregory's defense:

Gregory had no intent to commit a crime; he was committing journalism instead. Gun owners often say they want the government to leave them alone; why then are some clamoring for Gregory to be prosecuted?

Surprisingly, Gregory also received support from N.R.A. president David Keene, who said the incident further illustrates the futility of enforcing stricter gun laws.

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.