Eric Schmitt, GOP senators press FBI over ‘indefensible’ mishandling of child sexual abuse cases

(Daily Caller News Foundation) – Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri released a letter Friday pressing the FBI in response to an audit from the Office of the Inspector General that found “egregious failures” in the agency’s handling of child sexual abuse cases.

Schmitt, who was joined by 10 other Senate Republicans, addressed FBI Director Christopher Wray after the OIG report found instances of “gross negligence” in areas such as victim services, mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse, case transfers between offices, and timely responses to child sexual abuse allegations, according to the letter. Schmitt asked the FBI to explain how these lapses took place, if the agency implemented any disciplinary measures, and to describe how resources were allocated to handle child sexual abuse cases.

“This level of negligence is beyond unacceptable—it’s indefensible,” Schmitt said in the letter.

“At a time of historically low trust in American institutions, the FBI continues to undermine its own credibility when it comes to safeguarding our children from predators who wish to do them harm,” Schmitt said in a press release. “It is not only outrageous but unacceptable that the FBI continues to fail the victims of sexual abusers. These victims deserve justice. The FBI has questions to answer and changes to make in the coming days and months.”

In nearly half of the cases reviewed by the OIG, the FBI failed to fulfill mandatory reporting requirements to state and local law enforcement as well as to social services, according to the letter. Of the reports that were filed, only 43% were reviewed within 24 hours, and only 17% were fully documented.

The audit also revealed that an alarming 73% of transferred allegations lacked verbal contact or confirmation of a receipt, according to the letter. In one case, the FBI delayed action on an allegation against a registered sex offender for over a year, during which he began to allegedly abuse another individual.

“How can the American public trust the FBI when it consistently neglects to fulfill its duties in protecting our children from abuse?” Schmitt said in the letter.

Following the Larry Nassar scandal, where the U.S. gymnastics coach was convicted of sexually abusing hundreds of athletes, the FBI said it would improve its standards to ensure cases like these are properly handled, according to the letter. Schmitt pointed out that the OIG report proves the FBI’s enforcement is not sufficient.

“Under [Wray’s] leadership, the FBI has not only failed to implement effective changes but has instead continued to mishandle cases of child sexual abuse with disturbing frequency,” Schmitt said in the letter.

Along with these findings, Schmitt points out a whistleblower report from 2022 alleging child sexual abuse investigations were “deprioritized in favor of politically charged January 6 inquiries,” according to the letter. The Department of Justice requested over $30 million from Congress specifically for Jan. 6 investigations, prioritized “DEI hiring practices,” and other “radical reforms.”

“Protecting all Americans, especially children, must take priority over politically motivated sideshows,” Schmitt said. “Ignoring child exploitation investigations for political expediency is a grave betrayal to the victims who depend on the FBI’s expertise and resources.”

The letter was signed by Schmitt as well as Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Braun of Indiana, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Marco Rubio of Florida, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Ron Johnson of 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.