In tear-jerking Senate testimony, U.S. gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, and Maggie Nichols called out the FBI and Justice Department's handling of the investigation into allegations of abuse by former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar. According to multiple reports, the Justice Department's inspector general found FBI officials investigating the abuse allegations against Nassar violated the agency's policies by making false statements and failing to properly document complaints by the accusers. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday addressed these concerns. Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison after assaulting more than 150 women and girls, including the four gymnasts who testified.
The testimony follows a Department of Justice Inspector General’s report released in July that found Indianapolis FBI officers did not respond to allegations made by more than 100 athletes “with the utmost seriousness and urgency that the allegations deserved and required.” According to the report, the FBI did “limited follow-up” to abuse claims. This allowed Nassar to continue to work with young athletes despite the overwhelming evidence and multiple substantial reports against him. As a result, “70 or more young athletes were allegedly sexually abused under the guise of medical treatment," the report said.
"They allowed a child molester to go free for more than a year and this inaction directly allowed Nassar's abuse to continue," Maroney told the Senate Judiciary Committee. She identified herself as the gymnast described but not named in the report, and recounted the details she provided about Nassar's abuse during her interview with agents.
“After telling my entire story of abuse to the FBI in the summer of 2015, not only did the FBI not report my abuse, but when they eventually documented my report 17 months later, they made entirely false claims about what I said," Maroney said.
"What is the point of reporting abuse if our own FBI agents are going to take it upon themselves to bury that report in a drawer?" Maroney passionately emphasized the importance of holding individuals like Nassar accountable.
“I am tired of waiting for people to do the right thing, because my abuse was enough and we deserve justice."
Biles also issued a powerful testimony.
"It truly feels like the FBI turned a blind eye to us and went out of its way to help protect [Nassar]," Biles said, holding back tears. "A message needs to be sent: If you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe. Enough is enough," she said.
The athletes all criticized the Justice Department for its decisions to not prosecute the agent as well as an FBI supervisor who was also accused of mishandling the probe. During the hearing, Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin also noted how athletic institutions had failed to protect the athletes from abuse. "It shocks the conscience when those failures come from law enforcement itself," Durbin said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal shared similar sentiments: “There’s no question Larry Nassar was a monster—a horrific predator,” Blumenthal said. “The institutions that failed you, the schools like Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics, the coaches and trainers. They all looked the other way.”
After the report was published one of the FBI agents, agent Michael Langeman, who was a part of the internal investigation into the abuse allegations was dismissed but not prosecuted, NBC News reported. Langeman was a supervisory special agent in the FBI’s Indianapolis field office when he interviewed Olympic medalist Maroney in 2015. According to the report, Langeman lied to investigators from the inspector general’s office about actions taken in the case and never officially opened an investigation.
According to Inspector General Michael Horowitz, the failures of the FBI employees were discovered because the athletes spoke up.
“The [Office of Inspector General] was able to investigate and identify these failures, only because of the courage of the athletes who spoke to our investigators," Horowitz said. "What they did was extraordinarily difficult. And I want to thank them for their cooperation and strength in coming forward and speaking to us.”
During Nassar's trial, more than 150 people provided statements, including Raisman and Maroney. According to ABC News, Biles first publically said she was abused by Nassar in a statement on Twitter in January 2018, writing, "I am not afraid to tell my story anymore."
"I am a strong individual and I will persevere, but I never should have been left alone to suffer the abuse of Larry Nassar," Biles said during Wednesday’s testimony. "And the only reason I did, was because of the failures that lie at the heart of the abuse that you are now asked to investigate."
The testimony follows a Department of Justice Inspector General’s report released in July that found Indianapolis FBI officers did not respond to allegations made by more than 100 athletes “with the utmost seriousness and urgency that the allegations deserved and required.” According to the report, the FBI did “limited follow-up” to abuse claims. This allowed Nassar to continue to work with young athletes despite the overwhelming evidence and multiple substantial reports against him. As a result, “70 or more young athletes were allegedly sexually abused under the guise of medical treatment," the report said.
"They allowed a child molester to go free for more than a year and this inaction directly allowed Nassar's abuse to continue," Maroney told the Senate Judiciary Committee. She identified herself as the gymnast described but not named in the report, and recounted the details she provided about Nassar's abuse during her interview with agents.
“After telling my entire story of abuse to the FBI in the summer of 2015, not only did the FBI not report my abuse, but when they eventually documented my report 17 months later, they made entirely false claims about what I said," Maroney said.
"What is the point of reporting abuse if our own FBI agents are going to take it upon themselves to bury that report in a drawer?" Maroney passionately emphasized the importance of holding individuals like Nassar accountable.
“I am tired of waiting for people to do the right thing, because my abuse was enough and we deserve justice."
Biles also issued a powerful testimony.
"It truly feels like the FBI turned a blind eye to us and went out of its way to help protect [Nassar]," Biles said, holding back tears. "A message needs to be sent: If you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe. Enough is enough," she said.
The athletes all criticized the Justice Department for its decisions to not prosecute the agent as well as an FBI supervisor who was also accused of mishandling the probe. During the hearing, Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin also noted how athletic institutions had failed to protect the athletes from abuse. "It shocks the conscience when those failures come from law enforcement itself," Durbin said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal shared similar sentiments: “There’s no question Larry Nassar was a monster—a horrific predator,” Blumenthal said. “The institutions that failed you, the schools like Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics, the coaches and trainers. They all looked the other way.”
After the report was published one of the FBI agents, agent Michael Langeman, who was a part of the internal investigation into the abuse allegations was dismissed but not prosecuted, NBC News reported. Langeman was a supervisory special agent in the FBI’s Indianapolis field office when he interviewed Olympic medalist Maroney in 2015. According to the report, Langeman lied to investigators from the inspector general’s office about actions taken in the case and never officially opened an investigation.
According to Inspector General Michael Horowitz, the failures of the FBI employees were discovered because the athletes spoke up.
“The [Office of Inspector General] was able to investigate and identify these failures, only because of the courage of the athletes who spoke to our investigators," Horowitz said. "What they did was extraordinarily difficult. And I want to thank them for their cooperation and strength in coming forward and speaking to us.”
During Nassar's trial, more than 150 people provided statements, including Raisman and Maroney. According to ABC News, Biles first publically said she was abused by Nassar in a statement on Twitter in January 2018, writing, "I am not afraid to tell my story anymore."
"I am a strong individual and I will persevere, but I never should have been left alone to suffer the abuse of Larry Nassar," Biles said during Wednesday’s testimony. "And the only reason I did, was because of the failures that lie at the heart of the abuse that you are now asked to investigate."