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US: Blumenthal wants Olympic Committee’s tax-exempt status removed

 |  October 4, 2018

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D.-Connecticut) is floating the idea of revoking the US Olympic Committee’s (USOC) tax-exempt status and antitrust exemption if it fails to effectively combat the sex-abuse problem in Olympic sports.

At a hearing Wednesday, October 3, Senator Blumenthal, said the USOC’s tax-exempt status and antitrust exemption could be at risk when Congress revisits the law that governs the federation.

Blumenthal also suggested the position of athlete advocate and inspector general be added to the USOC. The federation has an athletes’ ombudsman position and recently revealed plans to give athletes more accessible avenues to report abuse and other wrongdoing.

Blumenthal suggested Congress would make revisions in the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to “make sure the USOC is held to a higher standard of accountability.”

The USOC does not receive government funding and is a nonprofit, which makes it exempt from taxes.

Full Content: CBS News

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