USA Today did an investigation into allegations by police that Ryan Lochte and other US swimmers vandalized a bathroom in Rio during the Olympics. In part one of their story a reporter visited the bathroom that the swimmer is alleged to have destroyed. The door they allegedly kicked in and the fixtures they were accused of wrecking were not new and showed no signs of damage whatsoever.
The report USA Today published included the following:
A USA TODAY Sports videographer who visited the bathroom Thursday found no damage to soap dispensers and mirrors and said none of those items appeared to be new. Some media accounts suggested the men had broken down a door, which USA TODAY Sports also did not observe.
Bentz said in his statement that he believes there are surveillance videos shot from different angles that have not been released. He also said he did not see anyone damage the bathroom or even enter it.
Now, USA Today has published a second part of the story which they claim (and I believe) is proof that the accusations were false. They received a copy of the police report including interviews with the swimmers. The police never mentioned nor asked about vandalism to the bathroom. Not one question. But they did manage to extort money from the swimmers who were prevented from leaving Brazil until they paid up.
The USA Today reporter also found there were other security cameras available but they did not release them which could have backed up what the swimmers told about the incident.
When the police were asked about taking money at gunpoint from the US swimmers, authorities claim it wasn’t a robbery, it was a “negotiation. Reminds me of when Bill Clinton called new taxes “contributions.”