Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren: Where Do YOU Stand on Hearings Into the USA Swimming Sex Abuse Scandal?
‘Swimming Coach Accused of Molestation at Michael Phelps’ North Baltimore Aquatic Club’ — Tim Joyce, WBAL
October 3, 2012Once More With Feeling: WBAL Reinstates Story on Sex Abuse at Michael Phelps’ Swim Club — Reschedules Journalist Tim Joyce’s Radio Interview Today
October 4, 2012Last week the office of Congressman Mike Honda of California’s 15th Congressional District, including San Jose, told this blog that he has begun looking into “formal action” to address the mounting scandal of coach sexual abuse and cover-up at USA Swimming – “including but not limited to Congressional hearings.”
This week, through communications director Duncan Neasham, I submitted a two-part query to Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren of the neighboring 16th District – also “ground zero” of the unfolding horror stories of molesting coaches:
(1) Have you or your staff, like Congressman Honda’s, met with constituent-victims or their advocates?
(2) What do you say in response or in addition to Honda’s statement?
No answer.
To which I say: Jump into the pool, Ms. Lofgren, the water’s fine! Well, not fine, exactly – it’s foul from the rancid actions and inactions of our Congressionally sanctioned U.S. Olympic Committee’s national governing body. But ready for appropriate oversight by our elected leaders.
For whatever it’s worth, Lofgren is not listed as a member of the informal Honda-chaired Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus. At the bottom of this post is the list of 59 members, all of whom will be canvassed on the swimming sex abuse issue. I mean no disrespect to the value of anti-bullying education when I assert that kid-on-kid cruelty is not as urgent as evidence of widespread and systematic molestation by adult authority figures in open amateur sports.
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My journalistic colleague Tim Joyce informs me that his scheduled interview today on Baltimore’s WBAL Radio was pulled by station management, which also removed from its website Joyce’s exclusive report on sex abuse allegations against a coach at Michael Phelps’ North Baltimore Aquatic Club. More on this developing story when I hear further from Brother Joyce.
Irv Muchnick
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Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus – Members (59 Members as of October 1, 2012)
Rep. Mike Honda, Chair
Rep. Joe Baca
Rep. Charles Bass
Rep. Madeleine Bordallo
Rep. Lois Capps
Rep. Russ Carnahan
Rep. Judy Chu
Rep. David N. Cicilline
Rep. Hansen Clarke
Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay
Rep. Steve Cohen
Rep. John Conyers
Rep. Gerald Connolly
Rep. Susan Davis
Rep. Robert Dold
Rep. Donna F. Edwards
Rep. Keith Ellison
Rep. Eliot L. Engel
Rep. Raul Grijalva
Rep. Luis Gutierrez
Rep. Janice Hahn
Rep. Alcee L. Hastings
Rep. Brian Higgins
Rep. Jim Himes
Rep. Kathy Hochul
Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
Rep. William Keating
Rep. Barbara Lee
Rep. John Lewis
Rep. Frank LoBiondo
Rep. Dave Loebsack
Rep. Nita Lowey
Rep. Carolyn Maloney
Rep. Betty McCollum
Rep. James McGovern
Rep. Gregory Meeks
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.
Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr.
Rep. Gary Peters
Rep. Jared Polis
Rep. Nick Rahall
Rep. Silvestre Reyes
Rep. Laura Richardson
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard
Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan
Rep. Linda Sanchez
Rep. Loretta Sanchez
Rep. Bobby Scott
Rep. Jackie Speier
Rep. Pete Stark
Rep. Ed Towns
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Rep. Maxine Waters
Rep. Melvin Watt
Rep. Henry Waxman
Rep. Frederica Wilson
Rep. Lynn Woolsey