FBI Hints at Settlement in Lawsuits Over Nassar Investigation Failures

The FBI has indicated that it is willing to settle the scores of lawsuits filed against the bureau for its failure to investigate Lawrence G. Nassar, reports the New York Times. In June, more than 90 women filed civil suits after the Justice Department declined to prosecute two former FBI agents who were accused by the department’s watchdog of bungling a 2015 inquiry into Nassar. A lawyer for the plaintiffs said at the time that they were seeking different amounts in damages, but their total claims would exceed $1 billion.

In a separate suit in April, 13 female athletes made similar accusations against the FBI, seeking $10 million each. While deputy attorney general Lisa O. Monaco told lawmakers last year that the Justice Department was initiating a review into how the agents handled the Nassar case based on new evidence, in May of 2022 the department declined to charge the two agents, even though they appeared to have made false statements. Officials said that prosecutors did not have enough evidence to bring criminal charges. Now, in a letter to lawyers representing women who have sued the FBI, the bureau said it was “interested in considering all options to reach a resolution, including settlement discussions.”