Victims of disgraced former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar will receive a massive $138.7 million payout from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday they’d be shelling out the huge payment to 139 victims … all because the DOJ concluded the FBI failed to conduct a thorough investigation of Nassar once the bureau received critical information that could’ve put a stop to the doctor’s horrific acts.
“For decades, Lawrence Nassar abused his position, betraying the trust of those under his care and medical supervision while skirting accountability,” Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer said in a news release.
“These allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset. While these settlements won’t undo the harm Nassar inflicted, our hope is that they will help give the victims of his crimes some of the critical support they need to continue healing.”
The FBI is accused of failing to adequately investigate claims against Nassar which were reported to the agency in 2015 and 2016, allowing the doctor to continue preying on his victims.
The DOJ payout is the third major settlement received by Nassar’s victims since the 2016 USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal … with the total now tallying over a billion dollars.
In 2018, MSU agreed to a $500 million payout. A couple of years later, USA Gymnastics and the USA Olympic Committee settled for $380 million in 2021.
As for Nassar, he’s behind bars, and they’ve thrown away the key.
The 60-year-old disgraced physician who sexually assaulted hundreds of athletes — including Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, and McKayla Maroney — received multiple sentences in both state and Federal court, adding up to more than hundreds of years in prison.
The settlement has yet to be finalized … and at this time, no money has been paid out to the victims.