Ex USA Gymnastics Boss Asked FBI To Protect His Image.
CABRERA: A disturbing new report concerning the former head of USA Gymnastics, Steve Penny, is under arrest and accused of tampering with evidence linked to the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case. Now the "New York Times" is reporting that penny, quote, sought to cultivate a close relationship with federal investigators to protect the image of USA Gymnastics, going so far, according to "The Times," as to offer a job to one of the FBI agents. Nassar is serving a life sentence. He's in prison. The former USA Gymnastics team doctor was found guilty of sexually abusing hundreds of girls and young women. There's a lot to this new reporting. I am going to bring in CNN's Jean Casarez she has been following the Larry Nassar case from the beginning. Jean, let's begin with this FBI part of all of this. What are you learning?</s>JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, it's interesting. To go along with the "New York Times" reporting, it is strikingly similar to CNN's reporting. Earlier this year, I interviewed Gina Nickols, as well as her husband, Dr. John Nickols, in record to their daughter, Maggie Nickols, who was virtually the whistleblower in the Nassar scandal. She was the one that had told her teammates at the Karolyi Ranch what Nassar was doing to her. And that was overheard by her coach. What happened was that Steve Penny, then President of USA Gymnastics, called Gina Nickols to say that, don't say anything to anyone, but we're going to go to law enforcement. Listen to Dr. John Nickols. He was privy to that conversation.</s>DR.  JOHN NICKOLS, FATHER OF ABUSED DAUGHTER, MAGGIE: Well, the way it was presented to me was, he -- Penny gave the message that he's contacting the FBI and the FBI is undergoing this investigation. And that we're to be quiet so we don't interfere with this investigation.</s>CASAREZ: And for one year, they didn't hear anything from anyone. And then suddenly, one year later, Gina Nichols gets a call from the FBI.</s>GINA NICHOLS, MOTHER OF MAGGIE: I'm really glad that you're calling me now. But I said, I reported this a year ago. And why are you calling me now? Honestly, why has it taken this long? He said, I just got this assignment yesterday. And I said, oh, OK. So why didn't -- USA Gymnastics has said they already contacted FBI and Indianapolis months and months ago. I haven't heard one thing. He goes, all he said about that was, I have no idea what that is. I don't work in Indianapolis. I work in L.A. out of this FBI bureau.</s>CASAREZ: Now, we do have a response to all of this from Steve Penny's attorney, and she says, quote, this is absurd. Mr. Penny had no authority to offer anyone a position with U.S. Olympic Committee. Mr. Penny told Mr. Abbott that the security position would be open when the current head retired. And that Mr. Abbott, who he understood was retiring from the FBI, might be good for the position. The position did not open up until well over a year later. This was normal, ordinary networking. Any suggestion that Mr. Penny was attempting to influence the FBI investigation is false and defamatory. Ana?</s>CABRERA: Jean Casarez, thank you. Back to our other breaking news. A Russian national being charged with trying to interfere in the 2018 midterms as part of a propaganda effort to hurt American democracy. Coming up, details on what CNN has just learned. Don't go away.