Republican Sen. Eric Schmidt (Missouri) on Friday announced that the FBI would be investigating the matter in response to an Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit that found “serious failures” in the agency’s response to child sexual abuse cases. published a letter to put pressure on the
Schmidt, along with 10 other Senate Republicans, addressed FBI Director Christopher Wray after the speech. OIG report Cases of “gross negligence” were found in areas such as victim services, mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse, transfer of cases between offices, and timely response to allegations of child sexual abuse. According to In a letter. Schmidt asked the FBI to explain how these failures occurred, whether the agency took any disciplinary action, and how resources were allocated to handle child sexual abuse cases. I asked for it. (Related: Exclusive: Eric Schmidt seeks Garland fork over Jack Smith’s communications related to latest Trump indictment)
“This level of negligence is unacceptable and indefensible,” Schmidt said in the letter.
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 12: FBI Director Christopher Wray testified at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on July 12, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“At a time when trust in American institutions is historically low, the FBI continues to undermine its own credibility when it comes to protecting children from predators who seek to harm them,” Schmidt said in a press release. said. “It is not only outrageous but unacceptable that the FBI continues to ignore the victims of sexual abusers. These victims deserve justice. There are questions and changes that need to be answered within a month.”
In nearly half of the cases reviewed by the OIG, the FBI failed to meet its reporting requirements to state and local law enforcement agencies and social services, according to the letter. Only 43% of submitted reports were reviewed within 24 hours and only 17% were fully documented.
The audit also found that an astonishing 73% of forwarded claims lacked verbal communication or acknowledgment of receipt, the letter said. In one case, the FBI delayed responding to a complaint against a registered sex offender for more than a year, during which time he allegedly began abusing another person. (Related: Exclusive: Republican lawmakers demand answers from FBI over ‘misguided’ crime statistics)
“How can the American people trust an FBI that has consistently failed in its duty to protect children from abuse?” Schmidt wrote in the letter.
In the wake of the Larry Nassar scandal, in which the USA gymnastics coach was convicted of sexually abusing hundreds of athletes, the FBI said it would improve its standards to ensure that such cases are handled appropriately, the letter said. Ta. Schmidt noted that the OIG report proves that FBI enforcement is inadequate.
“under [Wray’s] “With a decline in leadership, the FBI has not only failed to implement effective reforms, but continues to mishandle child sexual abuse cases with alarming frequency,” Schmidt said in the letter. said in the letter.
In addition to these findings, Schmidt claims that the child sexual abuse investigation was “deprioritized in favor of the politically charged January 6th investigation,” according to the letter. It points to the 2022 whistleblower report. The Justice Department requested more than $30 million from Congress for a Jan. 6 investigation that prioritized, among other things, “DEI employment practices” and other “fundamental reforms.” (Related: FBI pays millions of dollars in largest sex discrimination settlement in bureau history)
“Protecting all Americans, especially children, must take precedence over politically motivated sideshows,” Schmidt said. “Ignoring child exploitation investigations for political expediency is a grave betrayal of victims who depend on the FBI’s expertise and resources.”
In addition to Schmidt, the letter also includes Republican Sens. Rick Scott (Florida), Ted Cruz (Texas), Mike Braun (Indiana), Josh Hawley (Missouri), and Bill Cassidy (Louisiana). ), Marco Rubio (Florida State), Joni Ernst (Iowa State) and Ron Johnson (Florida State) signed. Wisconsin, Mike Lee of Utah, and Roger Marshall of Kansas.
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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