Sen. Cory Gardner introduces legislation to evaluate U.S. Olympic Committee

A Republican senator from the U.S. Olympic Committee’s home state of Colorado introduced potentially groundbreaking legislation on Tuesday that would create a 16-member panel selected by Congress to evaluate the USOC and recommend structural and policy changes for an organization whose future has been called into question in the wake of the backlash over its and other Olympic sports organizations’ handling of sexual abuse in gymnastics, swimming and several other sports.

Sen. Cory Gardner’s introduction of the “Strengthening U.S. Olympics Act” follows more than two years of increasing pressure on Congress to take a more active role in overseeing an overhaul of the Colorado Springs-based USOC and determining the extent USOC and national governing body officials were involved in covering up sexual abuse within American Olympics sports.

“In Colorado we’re proud of our Olympic city, Colorado Springs, and all that our Olympic athletes mean to our great state,” Gardner said in a video announcing the bill. “But we know we can do better. We know we can always work harder. And that’s why we’ve introduced legislation today to make sure we’re taking a look at the structure of the (U.S.) Olympic Committee so that its presence in Colorado grows even stronger and we do a better job of looking out for the futures of our Olympic athletes.”

If passed, the legislation would create “the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics” that would examine proposed reforms to the structure of the USOC, diversity within the USOC and the athletes that participate in American Olympic sports, the organization’s licensing agreements, finances and financial organization. The commission will look at whether athletes are meeting goals set by the USOC and evaluate the function of the national governing bodies within the USOC and provide “an analysis of the responsiveness of the national governing bodies to athletes.”

The commission would also make an assessment of whether the U.S. Center for Safe Sport, which was created and funded by the USOC, “effectively handles reported cases of bullying, hazing, harassment, and sexual assault.”

The commission would issue within 270 days of the enactment of the act a report that would include “a detailed statement of findings, conclusions, recommendations, and suggested policy changes.”

“We appreciate all the efforts of Congress over recent years and will continue to work constructively with both the House and the Senate,” Patrick Sandusky, USOC spokesperson said in a statement.

Gardner’s legislation comes in the midst of two devastating months for the USOC and the American Olympic movement in which the USOC’s and several NGBs’ credibility and viability have been undercut by a series of blows, several of which were self-inflicted.

The most significant was the December 10 release of a report by Ropes & Gray, a Boston law firm hired by the USOC to investigate the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal. The report which followed a 10-month investigation by the law firm was the most complete portrait of the Nassar scandal to date and stinging rebuke of the USOC, USA Gymnastics, Michigan State and law enforcement.

Ropes & Gray found that then USOC chief executive officer Scott Blackmun and Alan Ashley, then the USOC chief of sport performance, were first notified by then-USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny of allegations against former U.S. Olympic and national team physician Larry Nassar in July 2015. Yet neither Blackmun, who was paid $1.3 million by the USOC in 2017, nor Ashley took action or reported it to USOC board members, the report said.

During the 15 months between when Blackmun and Ashley first became aware of the Nassar allegations and the abuse became public, Nassar continued to sexually abuse dozens of young athletes.Blackmun resigned in February. Ashley was fired last month.

Within days of the Ropes & Gray report’s release Blackmun was accused of lying to the Senate by the two ranking members of a Senate sub-committee investigating the USOC and several NGBs. The matter was referred to the Justice Department and FBI.

Current USOC CEO Sarah Hirshland was accused last week by a group of former Olympians and athlete rights activists of trying to silence critics of the USOC. Hirshland in a letter to an athlete-selected athlete advisory committee to the USOC charged critics of making untrue statements about the USOC and told advisory committee members “we also expect you to hold your peers accountable.”

The American Olympic movement took an additional public relations hit last week when the Southern California News Group reported last week that USA Gymnastics has asked a U.S. Bankruptcy court to approve $88,000 in holiday bonuses to employees including Amy White, who allegedly under the orders of then USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny removed from the Karolyi Ranch documents sought by Texas Rangers investigating the Nassar matter. SCNG also reported that USA Gymnastics has failed to pay U.S. men’s national team members their monthly support stipends. Some Team USA members have not been paid since November.

The Senate majority and minority leaders, the Speaker of the House and the House minority leader will each select four members for the committee.

“Involving Olympians and Paralympians in the review process will assist in determining the best course ahead and demonstrate athlete empowerment in governance. We believe the recent problems in the Olympic Movement can be fixed through a new business model. We appreciate that Senator Gardner recognized that a well-run Olympic Committee is key to protecting our athletes, improving their performance, and making every American proud of Team USA,” said Nancy Hogshead-Makar, an Olympic swimming champion and co-chairman of The Committee to Restore Integrity to the USOC.