Senators Press FBI Director Over Failures in Child Abuse Investigations

An FBI seal on a wall in Omaha, Neb., on Aug. 10, 2022. Charlie Neibergall/The Canadian Press/AP

Republican senators pushed for more information from FBI Director Christopher Wray on the agency’s improper handling of child sexual abuse cases.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Wray on Oct. 10 regarding allegations that the FBI has not taken sexual misconduct accusations seriously. Grassley said the FBI and the Department of Justice had failed to produce information that he had requested two years ago.

Another group of lawmakers announced an inquiry into the FBI’s actions on Oct. 4, questioning Wray on what the agency has done to make changes in the months following a damning audit by the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

The audit report, released in August, exposed flaws in the FBI’s handling of the sexual abuse cases and in handling tips that it received about sex offenses against children.

A group of 11 senators underscored the urgency of the situation in a joint letter to Wray.

“At a time of historically low trust in American institutions, the FBI continues to undermine its own credibility when it comes to safeguarding our children from predators who wish to do them harm. It is not only outrageous but unacceptable that the FBI continues to fail the victims of sexual abusers. These victims deserve justice,” Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and 10 other senators stated.

The letter further requested answers from the FBI regarding the failures highlighted in the OIG report and urged the agency to implement reforms in a timely manner.

In light of the OIG findings, Schmitt and his colleagues directed several questions to Wray, including questions about whether the FBI faces any hurdles that hinder compliance with mandatory reporting rules.

Their concerns revolved around the wake of the Larry Nassar scandal, a sports doctor whose clients included champion gymnasts.

Additionally, Schmitt and his colleagues have requested information regarding the disciplinary measures implemented against FBI personnel who have been found consistently negligent in adherence to established rules.

The senators wanted to know how many workers have been fired or put on administrative leave for not following company policy, and for those who were able to resign, they wanted to know what happened before they left.

The lawmakers specifically cited the FBI’s response to the Nassar scandal, after which the agency assured the public that it will do everything possible to ensure that safeguards are in place to keep the failures in that case from happening in the future.

The August report said the FBI has updated its policies, training, and systems since the OIG’s 2021 report on Nassar, but found instances of FBI employees not complying with the relevant law or policy when handling such cases.

Olympic champion Simone Biles and dozens of other victims of sexual assault committed by Nassar sued the FBI for more than $1 billion in June 2022, saying that the bureau ignored their warnings about Nassar’s misconduct. Nassar pleaded guilty in 2017, but his assaults continued after the allegations were reported to the FBI.

The FBI acknowledged mishandling the matter, and the Department of Justice settled 139 claims for a total of $138.7 million in April.

A spokesperson for the FBI responded to The Epoch Times’ request for comment, confirming the receipt of both letters and referring to the agency’s previous statement about the OIG report.

“Ensuring the safety and security of children is not just a priority for the FBI; it is a solemn duty that we are committed to fulfilling with the highest standards,” the statement reads.

“The FBI’s efforts combating crimes against children are among the most critical and demanding undertakings we do. ... We are committed to maintaining the public’s trust by implementing the necessary improvements to ensure the important changes we made to our Violent Crimes Against Children program in 2018 and 2019 have the intended effect of promoting the highest level of compliance and effectiveness.”