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Ex-USA Gymnastics Head Steve Penny Offered Job to FBI Agent Investigating Nassar: Report

Steve Penny’s lawyer denied any conflict of interest in those discussions.

Steve Penny, the former president of USA Gymnastics, discussed the possibility of a “top security job” at the United States Olympic Committee with an FBI agent investigating sexual abuse allegations against Dr. Larry Nassar, The New York Times reports. Steve Penny’s lawyer told the newspaper Penny did discuss the job at USOC with Jay Abbott, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s field office in Indianapolis, while the FBI was investigating Nassar. Lawyer Edith Matthai said Penny thought Abbott was not on the case and denied any “conflict of interest.” “Mr. Penny told Mr. Abbott that the head of security of the U.S.O.C. would be retiring and that Mr. Abbott might be interested in that position after he retired from the F.B.I.,” Matthai said in a statement. “There was no promise of a job nor did Mr. Penny have the ability to hire Mr. Abbott for that position.” Penny also reportedly emailed FBI employees to get their recommendations on “the wording of public statements about the investigation” and told one employee the organization “need[ed] some cover.” Penny was arrested Wednesday for allegedly tampering with evidence in the Nassar investigation, specifically having documents removed from a national team training center in Texas.