You have probably read about the gymnasts who testified before Congress last week, complaining about the failure of the FBI, the US Olympic Committee, and others had ignored their reports of sexual abuse by the doctor for the gymnastics team.
Like me, you probably never read the FBI report describing its own failure to take their reports seriously.
This CNN story has a link to the report. It is horrifying.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Youth sports is a 6-7 BILLION $$$$ BUSINESS. Lots of greed and grift with that kind of money. Layers of (un)accountability have been devised to “protect” the athlete, but they really only serve to protect those in the upper echelon of the sport. It’s a shame what adults will do to children for fame and/or fortune.
Perhaps the most disturbing part about Afghanistan, Iraq, George Floyd, and now the FBI, is how inept our national security apparatus has become. We spend trillions on intelligence and a military establishment that too often seems clueless while the most vulnerable among us are constantly underserved and exposed to malfeasance from within.
Before I worked as an Assistant Secretary of Education in the first Bush administration, I was investigated by the FBI. I later asked for my FBI file. They interviewed neighbors and learned that I took out my garbage regularly and brought the empty cans back. I kept the front of my house swept and clean. I didn’t make noise. Other equally unimportant details.
I think it is apparent why the FBI failed here. The FBI is another example of a workplace mainly ruled by men and many of the males in the FBI are alphas with too much testosterone.
” ‘Under the rug:’ Sexual misconduct shakes FBI’s senior ranks”
“WASHINGTON (AP) — An assistant FBI director retired after he was accused of drunkenly groping a female subordinate in a stairwell. Another senior FBI official left after he was found to have sexually harassed eight employees. Yet another high-ranking FBI agent retired after he was accused of blackmailing a young employee into sexual encounters.
“An Associated Press investigation has identified at least six sexual misconduct allegations involving senior FBI officials over the past five years, including two new claims brought this week by women who say they were sexually assaulted by ranking agents …
“The AP review of court records, Office of Inspector General reports and interviews with federal law enforcement officials identified at least six allegations against senior officials, including an assistant director and special agents in charge of entire field offices, that ranged from unwanted touching and sexual advances to coercion.
“None appears to have been disciplined, but another sexual misconduct allegation identified in the AP review of a rank-and-file agent resulted in him losing his security clearance. …
https://apnews.com/article/fbi-sexual-misconduct-investigation-a0d33e4770acef8ff5f4a48f0267202c
It seems as if it is totally allowable for the FBI to fail to properly investigate anything that the right wing doesn’t care about — ranging from sexual assault to reports of sexual misconduct by Republicans. Or reports of any improper behavior by Republicans or their supporters.
In those cases, the most important job of the FBI is to thoroughly investigate the complaining witnesses to find something – anything! – to discredit them and give them an excuse to ignore their charges.
That’s why the Brett Kavanaugh’s FBI investigation also barely existed and ignored many women’s complaints.
On the other hand, if Rudy Giuliani or his cronies or any Trump lawyers bring any cockamamie stories about Biden “corruption” or voter fraud to the FBI, or even “the FBI is full of liberal Democrats and only liberal Democrats out to get Trump!” the FBI (via its Inspector General) will spare no expense to spend years looking for any possible pro-Democratic bias in the FBI until they find something — anything! — to support it. Meanwhile that same IG just couldn’t find a single instance of pro-Trump bias anywhere in the FBI.
What happened when the FBI did absolutely nothing when young women reported sexual abuse by a team doctor with powerful connections is not surprising at all. It is similar to their lack of investigation into what Ohio State wrestling coaches like Jim Jordan knew about sexual abuse. It is similar to their lack of investigation into Brett Kavanaugh’s questionable past.
Is it failure or is it Mission Accomplished? Some of us have been trying to warn about the so-called “intelligence” agencies for years now.
But some of you still believe Russiagate.
Some of us have been trying to warn you about Trump for years now. But you still believe Trump and Giuliani about Russiagate.
The rest of us believe evidence like actual meetings at Trump Tower and Trump cowering publicly before Putin and the Trump campaign ordering a nonsensical change to the Republican platform that Putin wanted.
This post is about how the FBI failed to investigate when female gymnasts reported sexual assaults, which as you seem to acknowledge, was because the FBI did not want to find evidence.
In the case of Russia, Trump ordered the FBI to stop investigating Russia and fired the FBI director when he didn’t immediately obey.
Thank you for acknowledging that trying to shut down an investigation before it gets started is the sign of a cover-up. That’s why the FBI did nothing when gymnasts reported wrongdoing — they did not do a proper investigation because they did not want to find anything. Just like the FBI did not do a proper investigation into Brett Kavanaugh because they didn’t want to find anything.
Just like Trump ordered the FBI director to shut down the FBI investigation into Russia because he did not want it to find anything.
On the other hand, allowing a right wing Republican to dig for dirt for years with enormous power to investigate anything (something Mueller did NOT have) is a sign that you are willing to let the investigative process play out.
USA Gymnastics and the FBI agents who didn’t properly investigate were NOT willing to let the process play out. That’s what you do when you want to cover-up a crime. Like Trump did to cover up his campaign’s relationship with Russia.
But some of you still believe Trump and Giuliani and not the evidence before your eyes. People who want to quash investigations have something to hide and don’t want a full accounting.
Ignorance is rampant. Remember the politician who said that a woman can’t get pregnant unless she is a willing participant – rape is not a factor. Look at how government is currently trying to regulate abortion. I’m also thinking back to a time that Congress didn’t think birth control was medically necessary (or at least not enough to be covered by Medicare). Take two aspirin and squeeze tightly between the knees.
And if it’s like that here in the US where women supposedly have a voice, imagine how women are treated in other countries.
I highly recommend Melinda Gates book, The Power of Lift. I honestly feel that the writing of this semi autobiographical title led to her divorce from Bill. Her point that society won’t be civilized until women are on an equal footing with men, is just one of many enlightened conclusions she reaches. Yes, I know, the Gates are not our favorite people, but this book is still worth the read.