Department of Justice Opens Investigation Into FBI Response to Nassar Accusations

The Department of Justice inspector general has opened an investigation in to the FBI’s handling of gymnasts’ sexual abuse allegations against Larry Nassar, The Wall Street Journal reports. The inspector general is looking into how multiple field offices acted on information given to them starting in July 2015, when USA Gymnastics leadership told the FBI about their concerns. The FBI opened a formal investigation at least eight months later in its Los Angeles office, after the Indianapolis field office referred concerns to the Detroit field office and neither took action. The IG’s office is also specifically looking at communications between former USA Gymnastics chief executive Steve Penny and officials at FBI field offices in Indianapolis and Los Angeles. Sources told the newspaper that the Justice Department’s investigation has “conducted interviews with several people, including athletes and gymnastics officials.” The probe could potentially lead to “disciplinary action and criminal charges” for those involved. News of the investigation comes after USA Gymnastics CEO Kerry Perry resigned on Tuesday. Nassar was sentenced to decades of imprisonment earlier this year for multiple sex crimes.