EXCLUSIVE: FBI OFFICIALS SPOKE WITH USA SWIMMING REGARDING SEX ABUSE

by Irvin Muchnick and Tim Joyce

Representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation have spoken recently with USA Swimming officials to discuss an ongoing criminal investigation of coach sexual abuse and cover-up at the organization, Concussion Inc. has learned.

Our source, who has extensive knowledge of happenings at USA Swimming headquarters in Colorado Springs, told us that USA Swimming was notified that actions both past and present, in relation to the decades-long sexual abuse by USA Swimming coaches, are under close scrutiny.

The full content of the discussion is not known. But this is the first time we have learned of a meeting between this arm of the U.S.Olympic Committee and FBI investigators interested in abuse and cover-up, and not just in possible insurance irregularities or illegalities.

The news follows our reports of the actions of twoCalifornia FBI offices. TheCampbelloffice, nearSan Jose, subpoenaed documents thatUSASwimming had withheld, and theCaliforniaSupreme Court ordered released, in discovery in civil lawsuits. In addition, an agent in theLos AngelesFBI office has publicized his invitation for abuse victims in all amateur sports to call confidentially for the purposes of adding to their information and getting connected to support services.

There also is growing interest on the Senate side of Capitol Hill in the upcoming Government Accountability Office report requested by Congressman George Miller of California, ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in other aspects of his probes.

House legislators who have expressed public support for Miller’s work in this area include Suzanne Bonamici ofOregon (also a member of the Education and Workforce Committee) and Mike Honda of California (chair of the informal and bipartisan Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus).

NEXT: Links to Concussion Inc.’s coverage of the FBI and USA Swimming.