Nevada senator cosponsors effort for sports investigation

U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada is co-sponsoring a resolution to establish a special committee in the Senate to investigate the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics regarding how team doctor Larry Nassar was allowed to sexually abuse female gymnasts over decades, Cortez Masto’s office announced.

“USOC and USA Gymnastics must be held accountable for turning a blind eye to credible complaints and silencing victims who spoke out to expose Nassar’s crimes,” Cortez Masto said Wednesday.

“They are complicit in perpetuating the abuse of scores of young girls, and there are still many unanswered questions as to how they allowed this to happen for decades,” Cortez Masto said.

“As a federally chartered institution, it is the Senate’s responsibility to investigate USOC and the extent to which systemic sexual abuse was tolerated under their watch,” she said.

Specifically, the resolution establishes a special committee of the Senate that is tasked with:

■ Investigating the USOC and national sports governing bodies, including USA Gymnastics, and determine the extent to which these organizations were complicit in the criminal or negligent behavior of their employees relative to sexual abuse;

■ Identifying and recommending solutions to the systemic failures at the USOC and national sports governing bodies, including USA Gymnastics, that allowed for pervasive sexual abuse to continue for decades;

■ Identifying actions that must be taken by the USOC and national sports governing bodies, including USA Gymnastics, to ensure increased transparency and protections for children, athletes and their families;

■ Making findings and recommendations on any additional actions that may be necessary to hold USOC and USA Gymnastics accountable.