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Thursday, September 23rd, 2021
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
CAN FAITH BE RESTORED IN THE FBI?
If you were a parent or a grandparent watching the testimony last week of American gymnasts describing in tears the FBI’s handling of its investigation into sexual assault, you would have been absolutely appalled. Young female gymnasts took turns repeatedly testifying how they begged the FBI for help. FBI agents drug their feet and did nothing as many of these young women continued to be sexually abused.
Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney gave graphic details of her treatment, and cast the FBI agents who handled her case as indifferent. She told lawmakers those agents should be indicted, and that she was shocked in reading the inspector general report to learn that the FBI “lied” about what she told investigators in 2015.
“To not indict these agents is a disservice to me and my teammates, a disservice to the system which is built to protect all of us from abuse,” she said. After telling my entire story of abuse to the FBI in the summer of 2015, not only did the FBI not report my abuse, but when they eventually documented the report, 17 months later, they made entirely false claims about what I said,” she said.
Rachael Denhollander, the first survivor to speak publicly about Nassar’s abuse, is now a lawyer and talked Thursday on CNN about the need for accountability at the FBI.
“If a citizen were to behave — lying to the Department of Justice and investigators — the same way these FBI agents behaved, you can bet there would be grounds for criminal charges,” she said.
“If allegations raised by well-known, world-class athletes are not taken seriously by the FBI, what hope do other victims of sexual assault have?” asked Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). “If this monster was able to continue harming these women and girls after his victims first went to the FBI, how many other abusers have escaped justice? Again, if the FBI did so little in the investigation involving world-class athletes, what hope can an average American have? What faith can they have in the system?”
Of course there should be criminal charges. These lowlife agents who stood by and watched these poor young ladies be continually molested should themselves be prosecuted and brought to justice.
The FBI has a credibility problem. And for good reason. There has been a systematic effort by a number of FBI agents to cover up their failure to act on all the lurid details of the sexual abuse that took place and hide the true facts. Take a look at just some of the newspaper headlines across America.
“Evidence Suggests a Massive Scandal is Brewing at the FBI”-New York Post
“Wanted: An Honest FBI“ -Wall Street Journal
“The Massive Case of Collective Amnesia at the FBI“-National Public Radio
“Scandal Ridden FBI-Must Be Abolished“-Boston Globe
Maybe we can learn a little bit from Hollywood. In the movie “Final Impact,” the President asks a reporter to hold off on a major story by saying: “And I can’t appeal to your sense of what’s in the nation’s best interest?” To which she responds: “I always thought the truth was in the nation’s best interest.” The point made is to let it all out.
And how about the confrontation between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicolson in “A Few Good Men”?
Col. Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee: I WANT THE TRUTH!
Col. Jessup: YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!
History shows that from the creation of the FBI under President Teddy Roosevelt, the FBI has been used, misused, and by their own actions, insubordinate in many administrations. How long could we talk about the shenanigans of J. Edger Hoover, Watergate, Deep Throat, Sen. Joe McCarthy, investigations of Martin Luther King, and LBJ having the FBI harass Vietnam protesters?
At the present time, there are three major congressional investigations into possible criminal activity within the FBI. Special prosecutors seem to be appointed in Washington at the drop of a hat, so it would seem appropriate to have a similar special prosecutor appointed to fully investigate the numerous allegations of impropriety by the FBI.
Is this powerful bureaucracy worthy of America’s trust? Yes Col. Jessup, we can handle the truth. Just let the chips fall where they may. And let these abused young women receive justice that so far has not happened.
Peace and Justice
Jim Brown
Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownla.com.