Report: Doctor associated with Nike Oregon Project informed of doping allegations

The United States Anti-Doping Agency has sent a notice of rules violations to Dr. Jeffrey Stuart Brown, the endocrinologist who has treated multiple Olympians including members of the Nike Oregon Project, The New York Times reports. 

USADA officials are currently pursuing sanctions in their investigation into the Nike Oregon Project and coach Alberto Salazar. Dr. Brown and Salazar are accused of breaking anti-doping rules and covering it up. Salazar and Dr. Brown, who works with various Nike Oregon Project runners, have denied any allegations. USADA officials are building cases against athletes and Salazar.

Once the notice of rules violations is issued, the recipient can respond in writing before the case goes to a review board. If charges are made, the recipient has 10 days to accept or contest them. in arbitration before sanctions are officially issued.

Last month, The New York Times reported that Salazar and Dr. Brown may have been part of a possible anti-doping violation by Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein. In February, The Sunday Times provided several new allegations from March 2016 report into Salazar by USADA. The information was leaked by the Russian hacking group Fancy Bear.

Last summer, USADA sought a deposition from Dr. Brown as part of their investigation into Salazar. A judge denied the attempt to depose Dr. Brown after his lawyer said USADA lacked evidence and was in a “fishing expedition to see if they can find some kind of a problem.

Allegations against Salazar first came to light in June 2015 when BBC and ProPublica published a joint-report with accounts by former athletes and assistant coaches from the Oregon Project that said Salazar violated medical and anti-doping rules. Salazar denied those allegations with a lengthy report published on the Oregon Project website.