AG Garland confirms ‘new evidence’ in review of decision not to prosecute FBI agents handling Nassar probe
By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN
Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed Wednesday that the Justice Department has “new evidence” in its ongoing review of the decision not to prosecute two former FBI officials who were accused of mishandling the investigation into former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
Earlier this month, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said that the department was reviewing the matter, including “new information that has come to light.”
Appearing before lawmakers for an oversight hearing Wednesday, Garland was asked by Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy for an update on the review.
“I believe Deputy Attorney General Monaco said at her hearing that we are reviewing this matter. New evidence has come to light and that is cause for review of the matters that you’re discussing,” Garland told the Senate Judiciary Committee.
He did not provide further detail about the new evidence.
Sexual abuse allegations from gymnasts and the USA Gymnastics organization against Nassar were reported to the FBI in 2015 and 2016. An investigation was opened in 2018 into the FBI’s handling of the case, and the Justice Department inspector general report found that the FBI agents violated the agency’s policies by making false statements and failing to properly document complaints by the accusers.
Last month, renowned gymnasts Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Maggie Nichols spoke before a Senate committee about how the FBI botched the investigation and handling of their allegations of sexual abuse against Nassar.
Garland on Wednesday said that “heart-wrenching is not even strong enough as a description of what happened to those gymnasts and to the testimony they gave.”
Nassar is currently serving a 40-to-174-year state prison sentence after pleading guilty. More than 150 women and girls said he sexually abused them over the past two decades.
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CNN’s Sarah Fortinsky and Christina Carrega contributed to this report.
