Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., accused the former CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee of lying to Congress and referred the matter to the Department of Justice.
The CEO in question is Scott Blackmun, and according to the senators, he made “materially false statements contained in his written testimony” concerning the Olympic Committee’s handling of abuse allegations against USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.
“The Subcommittee takes its oversight role seriously, and it appears that Mr. Blackmun has made false claims and misled our Subcommittee — harming the investigation and ability to develop policy,” Moran and Blumenthal wrote.
Congress should push the Trump administration to prosecute for at least two reasons.
Blackmun clearly lied. He told Congress he scheduled a follow-up meeting with Olympic staff to address their sexual harassment and assault policies. He later admitted that no such meeting took place. Lying is wrong and justice dictates a punishment.
Lying to lawmakers is punishable by either a fine, five years in prison, or both.
Also, Congress needs to flex its muscle again. Legislators have surrendered so much of their power in exchange for political cover to make themselves anemic. They are regularly disregarded by administrative agencies, and they put up with it rather than doing their constitutional duty.
Congress can begin to repair this damage by making it clear that it doesn’t take lying lightly. Moran and Blumenthal have done a good thing by referring him to DOJ. They ought to prosecute. The public would be supportive, the Constitution would be repaired, and an important precedent restored.
Precedent is especially important because it bolsters the work of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. Earlier this year, he referred Julie Swetnick and her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, to the DOJ for possible criminal investigation. She had made allegations that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh had “gang raped” women at parties, a claim with zero evidence.
The criminal referral in this case is more politically fraught, and the DOJ doesn’t appear to have moved forward. As I wrote at the time though, Grassley was clearly trying to deter future nominees from needless maligning.
It might be difficult for the DOJ to prosecute Swetnick and Avenatti for their lies. It won’t be as difficult for them to prosecute a bureaucrat who lied to protect a creep. Congress should push them to lock him up.
