According to reports, the FBI fired an agent who failed to examine the allegations against U.S. gymnast Larry Nassar.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Michael Langeman, who was a special surveillance agent at the FBI office in Indianapolis, was fired last week, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Langeman was reportedly the agent who interviewed gymnast McKayla Maroney in 2015 about her allegations of sexual abuse against Nassar.
The reported affectation comes after the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Justice released a long-awaited report, which found that officials at the FBI office in Indianapolis did not quickly address the allegations against Nassar despite the possibility of continuing the alleged abuse.
The watchdog said the FBI and local authorities were more than a year behind in initiating their investigations into Nassar due to a series of failures detailed in the report.
The report criticized Langemen, without naming him, and his former boss, Jay Abbott, for his work on the case involving Nassar, the Post reported.
Langeman, in addition to not pursuing allegations against Nassar, also lied to inspectors general when he was investigated about the office’s failures, the Post Office noted.
Officials told the newspaper that Langeman was removed from his duties as an FBI agent when the report was released, a decision that usually precedes the dismissal. The Post noted, however, that layoffs against the FBI are rare and that most officials choose to retire or resign before being fired.
The news of Langeman’s dismissal comes a day before the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled for a supervisory hearing on the FBI’s “waiver of duty” following the release of the watchdog’s report.
U.S. team gymnast Simone Biles and three of her former teammates – Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols – are due to testify in court.
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz and FBI Director Christopher Wray will appear before the committee.
John Manly, a lawyer representing several alleged victims of Nassar, said the agent’s dismissals were “long overdue” and asked if they would occur because of the upcoming Senate hearing.
“I can’t help but wonder if this is due to the Senate hearing and the timing seems cynical,” Manly said, according to the newspaper.
He also said all people who were part of “what we believe to be a conspiracy by the FBI, U.S. Gymnastics and the Olympic Committee to suppress Nassar’s investigation should be prosecuted.”
“The fact that Mr. Langeman perjured himself and lied to investigators, both crimes, sends a message to other FBI people to tell you you can get out of it,” he added.
The Hill contacted the FBI, the OIG Department of Justice and Manly for comment.