Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) delivered the following opening remarks during a markup of H.R. 835, the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019: 

“H.R. 835, the ‘Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019,’ would strengthen the integrity of international sports competitions by imposing criminal sanctions on certain persons involved in international doping fraud conspiracies.  It would also provide restitution for victims of such conspiracies, and would require coordination and sharing of information with the United States Anti-Doping Agency to assist its fight against doping.  

“The widespread use of performance enhancing substances has come to light in recent years, harming athletes and fans alike.  Clean U.S. athletes and sports organizations who participate in these competitions, as well as their U.S. sponsors, are denied their due recognition and economic rewards.  And their fans lose when the legitimacy and integrity of the competitions they enjoy are debased. 

“In recent years, there have been numerous allegations and instances of doping by professional and amateur athletes.  The summer and winter Olympic Games, in particular, have been plagued with doping scandals, which has left an indelible stain on the reputation of these major international sports events. 

“The infamous Russian doping scandal during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics is one notable example of the corruption and fraud that has damaged the integrity of sports competitions.  After the Sochi Games, whistleblowers Yuliya Stepanova, a former Russian track star, and her husband Vitaly Stepanov, a former employee at the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, exposed the Russian Government’s vast state-sponsored doping system, which subsequently led to further revelations by Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, the chemist who ran the Russian anti-doping laboratory.  

“Dr. Rodchenkov became a whistleblower and exposed the dozens of Russian athletes participating in the Sochi Games, including 15 medal winners, who were part of a state-run doping program.  In addition, Dr. Rodchenkov revealed that with the help of Russian intelligence, the laboratory switched steroid-tainted urine of the Russian national team with clean samples, evading positive detection. 

“The ineffective response from international organizations with oversight responsibilities, such as the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and the International Olympic Committee, has only emboldened the Russian Government.  Although Russia has denied its involvement, evidence shows that it operated a systematic, state-sponsored doping program and cover-up scheme. 

“Russia has cheated and defrauded all the Olympic athletes, including its own, and the general public, and has degraded the meaning and purpose of the Games.  Unfortunately, because the orchestrators of the Russian doping scandal operated with the blessing of the Russian government, and because there is no legal mechanism in the United States to bring them to justice, they all escaped punishment for their actions.  

“Currently, there is no federal statute that provides explicit comprehensive protection against doping conspiracies in international sports competitions.  The federal statutory protections that currently exist are limited, and criminalize activities such as conspiracies to commit wire and mail fraud, bribery, kickbacks, and money laundering. 

“This legislation would fill that gap by establishing appropriate criminal penalties and civil remedies for international doping fraud.  In addition to imposing criminal penalties on the conspirators, the bill would authorize private civil actions for doping fraud, which would give athletes and corporate sponsors the right to sue in federal court to recover damages from individuals who may have defrauded competitions. 

“This bill would provide justice to clean U.S. athletes, such as Olympic runner Alysia Montaño, skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender, bobsledder Steve Holcomb, and many other champions who pursue excellence over glory.  They have been denied medals that were rightfully theirs and cheated out of lucrative opportunities, such as sponsorships.  Most importantly, they have been deprived of the pride of seeing their country’s flag being raised on the Olympic podium—an emotional moment that was stolen from them. 

“In the case of Mr. Holcomb, his bobsled team’s bronze medals were upgraded to silver in the spring of 2019, after the Russian teams were disqualified for doping offenses during the 2014 Sochi Games.  Tragically, Mr. Holcomb was not here to see it, having died in 2017. 

“This bill also would also provide much-needed protection and support for brave whistleblowers, such as Dr. Rodchenkov and the Stepanovas, who have exposed major international doping fraud conspiracies at considerable personal risk and sacrifice.  The exposure of this criminal activity would not have occurred without the courage and strength of these individuals. 

“This bipartisan bill before us today would fill an important gap with regard to U.S. law enforcement.  It would also serve as a deterrent to those considering engaging in doping fraud conspiracies, and would provide a portal to gain visibility into a wider net of international corrupt practices that are connected to doping fraud. 

“I thank our colleague, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, for introducing this important legislation.  I strongly support H.R. 835, and I ask that my colleagues do the same.”