BUTLER
COUNTY, IOWA – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement after the Justice
Department’s
announcement
that, after a re-review of the record, it would not bring criminal charges
against two former FBI special agents whose mishandling of the Larry Nassar
investigation allowed for the abuse of more victims.
“Accountability in government is
fundamental to public trust. This is just the latest in a string of failures by
our nation’s premier law enforcement agencies to hold themselves accountable.
Young women paid the price for these failures. A sexual predator continued to
abuse them while the FBI essentially helped cover it up. I’d like to take heart
in Director Wray’s promises that it can’t and won’t happen again. But without
anyone being held responsible now, it’s just hard to see that things will
change.
“I
urged
the department to reexamine the FBI’s failures in this case, and appreciate
that it took a second look. The public’s trust is shaken, and Justice
Department leadership ought to consider what accountability can look like so some
of that trust can be restored.”
Background:
As
chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017, Grassley
convened the first congressional hearing on
protecting young athletes from sexual abuse, and
co-authored legislation requiring
amateur athletic organizations to report instances of sexual abuse. He
also
conducted oversight into the
U.S. Olympic Committee’s response following the scandal involving disgraced
Olympic physician Larry Nassar, and
crafted legislation to
improve safeguards for young athletes and ensure proper use of funds designed
to investigate allegations of abuse. Grassley’s efforts were included in
a
package that later became
law.
Grassley’s
work on this issue
continues
and he continues to
support
the efforts of the survivors of these horrific crimes.
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