NEW YORK: Former congressperson Mary Bono resigned from USA Gymnastics on Tuesday, four days after she was named the interim chief of the sport’s national governing body as it tried to recover from a sexual abuse scandal, Patrick Sandusky, a spokesperson for the US Olympic Committee, said in an email.
Officials at USA Gymnastics did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Bono was appointed on Friday and almost immediately faced criticism from leading gymnasts. Gold medalist Simone Biles spoke out against Bono on Twitter for a tweet the former Republican congressperson sent that was critical of sportswear maker Nike.
Gymnast Aly Raisman on Monday criticized Bono’s past role working for a law firm that was hired by USA Gymnastics when sex abuse allegations were reported against former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.
Raisman said the lawyers at Bono’s firm knew of Nassar’s abuse in 2015, but the doctor continued to abuse children for a further 13 months.
“Why hire someone associated with the firm that helped cover up our abuse,” Raisman wrote.
USA Gymnastics’ board of directors said Monday Bono’s work at the law firm was not related to any investigation.
