USA Swimming’s newest management controversy has taken one other flip. Former CFO Cory Hilliard reportedly admitted to misusing College of Colorado funds months earlier than he was employed by the nationwide governing physique.

The revelation provides one other layer to a turbulent interval for USA Swimming, which introduced in Hilliard in December 2025 as one of many first main hires below new CEO Kevin Ring. By then, nonetheless, issues about Hilliard’s dealing with of college funds had already surfaced.

Hilliard had spent almost 20 years at Colorado, ultimately turning into Senior Affiliate Athletic Director for Enterprise Operations and CFO. However in July 2025, his profession there took an surprising flip when Athletic Director Rick George alerted the college’s Division of Inside Audit about “issues concerning doable fiscal misconduct.”

On the middle of the investigation was Colorado’s Nike Elite program. Hilliard was its designated administrator, which means he was answerable for managing worker product profit allocations. Underneath the college’s settlement with Nike, workers acquired an annual allocation of $625 for Nike merchandise.

In accordance with USA As we speak Sports activities, Hilliard had the flexibility to regulate his personal allocation with out anybody else’s information. Data reportedly confirmed that he exceeded his allotment yearly from 2022 via 2025, together with by $6,011 in 2025 and $2,304 in 2024. The overall quantity recognized within the investigation was $9,510.50.

Then got here the second that reportedly modified the course of the investigation.
On July 30, Hilliard instructed the college’s audit division, “I did it. I admit it.” Initially, he reportedly defined that the surplus purchases have been made to purchase Christmas items for employees members.

However the clarification started to unravel when auditors examined the orders extra carefully. The purchases reportedly consisted largely of males’s pants and shirts in the identical sizes. When questioned about that element, Hilliard admitted that the gadgets had been bought for himself.

The college’s report mentioned Hilliard acknowledged that he had entry to extra Nike Elite funds and described the spending as an error and a misjudgment. He additionally reportedly appeared remorseful and instructed investigators that he was prepared to be taxed on the quantity he had spent past his allocation.

Simply over 4 months later, Hilliard was employed by USA Swimming.

A hiring resolution adopted by an arrest

Hilliard joined USA Swimming in December 2025 as CFO, turning into certainly one of Ring’s early hires after he took over as CEO. On the time, his intensive expertise in collegiate athletics administration made him a notable addition. He had beforehand spent greater than 17 years at Colorado, following eight years in athletics administration on the College of North Dakota.

Swimming itself, nonetheless, was not Hilliard’s skilled background.
That hiring would come below scrutiny in August 2026, when Hilliard was arrested in Colorado. The Boulder County District Legal professional’s Workplace charged him with theft, embezzlement of public property, and first-degree official misconduct over the alleged misuse of college funds.

USA Swimming mentioned it discovered of the arrest round 11 a.m. Mountain Time and instantly positioned Hilliard on go away. The group additionally eliminated his entry to its knowledge and monetary programs and mentioned it might conduct its personal investigation into whether or not any impropriety had occurred throughout his transient tenure.

The next day, Hilliard resigned.

USA Swimming maintained that the data uncovered at Colorado had not emerged throughout its hiring course of. In an announcement to USA As we speak, the group mentioned, “USA Swimming engaged an unbiased search agency and carried out its personal due diligence, together with talking instantly with CU Athletics. The data now being raised was not disclosed to USA Swimming throughout that course of.”

Hilliard, via an legal professional, declined to remark. He’s anticipated to be arraigned in a Colorado court docket in October.

The controversy arrives throughout a very unsettled interval for USA Swimming. In early 2025, the group had introduced Chrissi Rawak as its incoming CEO, just for her to withdraw from the place lower than 10 days later after USA Swimming mentioned it discovered of a report filed with the U.S. Heart for SafeSport that had not been disclosed throughout its vetting course of.

Rawak had been anticipated to steer the group towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. As a substitute, Shana Ferguson remained interim CEO whereas USA Swimming continued its search.

Now, months after making Hilliard certainly one of its early management appointments, the group is as soon as once more going through questions on a hiring course of that did not uncover data already recognized to his earlier employer.

For Hilliard, what started with an inside audit at Colorado ultimately adopted him into a brand new job, and ended together with his resignation from USA Swimming.