Failures in Nassar investigation could cost FBI $1 billion

The FBI failed to act, and as a result, Larry Nassar was able to assault more young women. That’s the legal position held by dozens of women and girls who were sexually assaulted by Nassar, the former doctor for the U.S. Women’s Gymnastic Team.

In a claim filed Wednesday, Simone Biles and about 90 others are seeking more than $1 billion from the FBI for failing to stop the sports doctor when agents first learned about the allegations against him.

The Justice Department’s Inspector General said last year the FBI made “fundamental” mistakes when investigating the sexual abuse allegations against Nassar. Agents in Indianapolis were alerted to Nassar in 2015 by USA Gymnastics. In that instance, three gymnasts said they were assaulted by Nassar.

Agents in Los Angeles launched a sexual tourism investigation against Nassar in 2016 and interviewed several victims.

Michigan authorities were not alerted in either instance about the mounting allegations against Nassar.

He wasn’t arrested until the fall of 2016, after police at Michigan State University launched a third, separate investigation. Nassar also worked as a doctor at Michigan State at the time.

“If the FBI had simply done its job, Nassar would have been stopped before he ever had the chance to abuse hundreds of girls, including me,” said former University of Michigan gymnast Samantha Roy.

The Michigan attorney general’s office pursued the sexual assault charges against Nassar. A federal prosecutor also filed a child pornography case.

Biles, largely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, said in a hearing before the U.S. Senate that the “entire system” enabled Nassar’s abuse to continue.

The FBI has 6 months to respond to the tort claim under federal law. Depending on how the agency responds, lawsuits could follow.

The Justice Department in May said that it would not pursue criminal charges against former agents who were accused of giving inaccurate or incomplete responses during the inspector general’s investigation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.