For nearly a year, the FBI allowed sexual assault allegations against disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar to languish. During that time, authorities concluded in a devastating internal Justice Department report, the predator physician found dozens of new victims in what stands as one of the most horrific scandals in American sports. The FBI’s failures in the Nassar case adds to a growing list of damning critiques of the bureau’s involvement in some of the most consequential investigations in recent years. Chris Swecker, a former chief of the FBI's Criminal Division, characterized the bureau's collective failure in the Nassar case as "one of the most egregious I've ever seen." "It raises the question of whether the FBI has lost its way in criminal cases," Swecker said, suggesting that the post-9/11 emphasis on thwarting international terrorism may have weakened the bureau's approach to more traditional criminal investigations. Jeffrey Danik, a former FBI supervisory special agent, said the high-profile missteps not only undermine the credibility of the FBI but they also cripple agents' ability to conduct investigations. "Who pays the price right now? The street agents. The hardworking street agents are paying the price for these executives bungling and bungling ... all of these cases, one after another," Danik said. "So when I go out on the street, flash my credentials, I get pushback now. I'm hearing this from many, many agents. It hurts." As rebukes of the nation's premier law enforcement agency land with alarming frequency, the assessment of the bureau's involvement in the Nassar case contain perhaps some of the most disturbing assertions yet. #larrynassar #parklandshooting #charlestonshooting #fbifailure