Michigan attorney general takes over investigation of ex-US gymnastics coach with ties to Larry Nassar

Career prosecutor Danielle Hagaman-Clark will lead the investigation, Nessel said.

Last year, USA Gymnastics suspended Geddert, owner of the Twistars Gymnastics Club -- one of the locations where Nassar, a disgraced former gymnastics physician sentenced to up to 175 years for decades of abuse -- had admitted to abusing young female athletes sexually.

Eaton County Undersheriff Jeffrey Cook announced in February 2018 that Geddert was the subject of an investigation after people came to authorities with complaints about the former coach. His office wouldn't comment on the type of complaints, type of investigation or how many people had come forward.

After discussions with Eaton County's prosecuting attorney, Nessel said Thursday that taking over the Geddert investigation "made sense" because of her office's relationship with Nassar's victims.

Nassar, the once-renowned doctor for USA Gymnastics, Michigan State University and Twistars, has admitted to using his position as a trusted doctor to abuse young girls sexually under the guise of providing medical treatment. Some of the girls he pleaded guilty to abusing were members at Twistars.

Nessel urged Michigan State to be more cooperative with investigators, particularly in turning over documents the university claims are privileged.

"I would say it's time for Michigan State University to do the right thing," she told reporters. "Our goal here is to provide justice and also to provide a sense of security in that something like this will never and can never happen again."

There was no immediate comment from Geddert or Michigan State.

Geddert coached the 2012 US Olympic women's gymnastics team dubbed the Fierce Five. Four members of that team, including Jordyn Wieber, have said Nassar abused them. Geddert was Wieber's personal coach. He was also the women's coach at the 2011 World Championships.

Even after USA Gymnastics fired Nassar in the summer of 2015 -- and Michigan State dismissed him the following year -- Geddert continued to support him. In September 2016, Geddert was quoted as saying Nassar is "an extremely professional physician" who "goes above and beyond" for his gymnasts.

In 2013, USA Gymnastics received a letter from a former Twistars coach detailing complaints of verbal and physical abuse by Geddert, CNN reported last year. The letter said Geddert "coaches and lives in a narcissistic manner" and "should not be allowed to coach gymnastics."

The governing body for US gymnastics did not suspend Geddert until 2018 when his name came up during the victim impact statements at Nassar's sentencing.

One gymnast told the court Geddert deserved to "sit behind bars, right next to Larry;" another called Geddert an "enabler," and a third said he was "physically abusive."

Nassar and Geddert worked together for nearly 20 years.

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