Maggie Nichols Blasts FBI’s Handling of the Nassar Investigation: Why ‘These Individuals Who Chose Not To Do Their Jobs?’

DURBIN Ms Nichols NICHOLS ░░░░░░░░ Durbin Ranking Member Grassley ░░░░░░░░ distinguish members of the ░░░░░░░░ Committee thank you for ░░░░░░░░ me to speak to ░░░░░░░░ today And I want ░░░░░░░░ personally thank you for ░░░░░░░░ commitment to choosing athlete ░░░░░░░░ and holding accountable those ░░░░░░░░ for athlete safety I ░░░░░░░░ named as Gymnast 2 ░░░░░░░░ office of inspector general ░░░░░░░░ report and previously identified ░░░░░░░░ Athlete A by U ░░░░░░░░ A Gymnastics I want ░░░░░░░░ to know that this ░░░░░░░░ not happen to Gymnast ░░░░░░░░ or to Athlete A ░░░░░░░░ happened to me Maggie ░░░░░░░░ I first started gymnastics ░░░░░░░░ I was 3 and ░░░░░░░░ I was a child ░░░░░░░░ always had a dream ░░░░░░░░ competing for my country ░░░░░░░░ the world championships and ░░░░░░░░ games I was an ░░░░░░░░ level gymnast by the ░░░░░░░░ of 13 And by ░░░░░░░░ time I was 14 ░░░░░░░░ made The National team ░░░░░░░░ traveled internationally for four ░░░░░░░░ attending competitions and in ░░░░░░░░ at the world championships ░░░░░░░░ our country where I ░░░░░░░░ a gold medal My ░░░░░░░░ dreams ended in the ░░░░░░░░ of 2015 when my ░░░░░░░░ and I reported Larry ░░░░░░░░ abuse to U S ░░░░░░░░ G leadership I went ░░░░░░░░ to compete at the ░░░░░░░░ of Oklahoma where I ░░░░░░░░ named first team all ░░░░░░░░ in the all around ░░░░░░░░ all four events and ░░░░░░░░ an eight time national ░░░░░░░░ I reported my abuse ░░░░░░░░ U S A gymnastics ░░░░░░░░ six years ago and ░░░░░░░░ my family and I ░░░░░░░░ few answers and have ░░░░░░░░ more questions about how ░░░░░░░░ was allowed to occur ░░░░░░░░ why dozens of other ░░░░░░░░ girls and women at ░░░░░░░░ state had to be ░░░░░░░░ after I reported In ░░░░░░░░ my childhood for the ░░░░░░░░ to compete for the ░░░░░░░░ States I am haunted ░░░░░░░░ the fact that even ░░░░░░░░ I reported my abuse ░░░░░░░░ many women and girls ░░░░░░░░ to suffer at the ░░░░░░░░ of Larry Nassar U ░░░░░░░░ A gymnastics and the ░░░░░░░░ States Olympic and Paralympic ░░░░░░░░ and the FBI have ░░░░░░░░ betrayed me and those ░░░░░░░░ were abused by Larry ░░░░░░░░ after I reported The ░░░░░░░░ of my abuse and ░░░░░░░░ FBI s failure to ░░░░░░░░ me for more than ░░░░░░░░ year after my complaint ░░░░░░░░ well documented in the ░░░░░░░░ report After I reported ░░░░░░░░ abuse to U S ░░░░░░░░ gymnastics my family and ░░░░░░░░ were told by the ░░░░░░░░ president Steve Penny to ░░░░░░░░ quiet and not say ░░░░░░░░ that could hurt the ░░░░░░░░ investigation We now know ░░░░░░░░ was no real FBI ░░░░░░░░ occurring While my complaints ░░░░░░░░ the FBI Larry Nassar ░░░░░░░░ to abuse women and ░░░░░░░░ During this time the ░░░░░░░░ issued no search warrants ░░░░░░░░ made no arrest From ░░░░░░░░ day I reported my ░░░░░░░░ by Nassar I was ░░░░░░░░ differently by U S ░░░░░░░░ G Not only did ░░░░░░░░ FBI fail to conduct ░░░░░░░░ thorough investigation but they ░░░░░░░░ knew that U S ░░░░░░░░ G and the U ░░░░░░░░ O P C created ░░░░░░░░ false narrative where Larry ░░░░░░░░ was allowed to retire ░░░░░░░░ his reputation intact and ░░░░░░░░ to Michigan State University ░░░░░░░░ allowing dozens of little ░░░░░░░░ to be molested As ░░░░░░░░ inspector general s report ░░░░░░░░ during this time period ░░░░░░░░ agents did not properly ░░░░░░░░ evidence failed to report ░░░░░░░░ proper authorities and the ░░░░░░░░ agent in charge was ░░░░░░░░ to become the new ░░░░░░░░ of security for the ░░░░░░░░ States Olympic and Paralympic ░░░░░░░░ a job opportunity raised ░░░░░░░░ Steve Penny Afterwards FBI ░░░░░░░░ in charge of the ░░░░░░░░ lied to OIG investigators ░░░░░░░░ what had happened This ░░░░░░░░ by these FBI agents ░░░░░░░░ the special agent in ░░░░░░░░ who are held in ░░░░░░░░ regard and expected to ░░░░░░░░ the public is unacceptable ░░░░░░░░ and shameful This committee ░░░░░░░░ a report in 2019 ░░░░░░░░ The Courage of Survivors ░░░░░░░░ Call to Action It ░░░░░░░░ that the U S ░░░░░░░░ Committee and the U ░░░░░░░░ A G and The ░░░░░░░░ governing body designated by ░░░░░░░░ S O C and ░░░░░░░░ amateur gymnastics failed to ░░░░░░░░ respond to credible allegations ░░░░░░░░ Nassar Similarly the U ░░░░░░░░ OAG report found that ░░░░░░░░ FBI officials lied to ░░░░░░░░ inspector general engaged in ░░░░░░░░ conflicts of interest and ░░░░░░░░ to cover up one ░░░░░░░░ the biggest child sexual ░░░░░░░░ scandals in the history ░░░░░░░░ amateur sports Both reports ░░░░░░░░ serious and possible criminal ░░░░░░░░ by those at the ░░░░░░░░ level of the Olympic ░░░░░░░░ our sport and the ░░░░░░░░ Despite these findings of ░░░░░░░░ and criminal misconduct throughout ░░░░░░░░ FBI U S A ░░░░░░░░ and U S O ░░░░░░░░ C no accountable has ░░░░░░░░ An important question remains ░░░░░░░░ the most important question ░░░░░░░░ Why would the FBI ░░░░░░░░ lie to OIG investigators ░░░░░░░░ would the FBI not ░░░░░░░░ document evidence that was ░░░░░░░░ Why would the FBI ░░░░░░░░ be interested in the ░░░░░░░░ S A G presidency ░░░░░░░░ questions remain unanswered And ░░░░░░░░ survivors of Larry Nassar ░░░░░░░░ a right to know ░░░░░░░░ their well being was ░░░░░░░░ in jeopardy by these ░░░░░░░░ who chose not to ░░░░░░░░ their jobs To date ░░░░░░░░ one from the FBI ░░░░░░░░ U S O P ░░░░░░░░ or U S A ░░░░░░░░ has faced federal charges ░░░░░░░░ than Larry Nassar For ░░░░░░░░ hundreds of survivors of ░░░░░░░░ Nassar this hearing is ░░░░░░░░ of our last opportunities ░░░░░░░░ get justice We ask ░░░░░░░░ you do what is ░░░░░░░░ your power to ensure ░░░░░░░░ that engaged in wrongdoing ░░░░░░░░ held accountable under the ░░░░░░░░ DURBIN Thank you Ms ░░░░░░░░