One thing to watch for as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) pursues the Speakership:
There is still an outstanding lawsuit filed against Ohio State University by a number of former varsity athletes – including wrestlers – stemming from a sexual abuse scandal which goes back decades. They are listed as “John Does.” Ohio State previously argued that the statute of limitations had run out. But a federal court disagreed. The Supreme Court refused to reconsider the case earlier this year. That allowed the case to proceed.
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Jordan is not named in the suit as a defendant and has never been accused of alleged sexual abuse. But the plaintiffs intend to call all possible relevant Ohio State employees from the timeframe of the alleged abuse. That could help them determine potential culpability for allowing the abuse to continue after being made aware of it.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, listens as Attorney General Merrick Garland appears before a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The question is whether Jordan – as a possible Speaker of the House – could be called away for days if not longer for a deposition in the case.
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Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State from 1987-1995.
Dr. Richard Strauss is a former Ohio State athletics department doctor who died in 2005. Scores of former OSU varsity athletes have accused Strauss of sexual abuse.
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Multiple former wrestlers – including Dunyasha Yetts and Mike DiSabato – contend that Jordan was aware of the abuse by Strauss against wrestlers and never did anything about it. Jordan was repeatedly denied that he saw abuse or had abuse reported to him by his wrestlers. He has reiterated those denials earlier this summer.
One alleged victim alleges that Jordan was aware of inappropriate behavior exhibited in a shower by Strauss toward a wrestling referee. Legal documents appear to allege that Jordan dismissed the complaint by the referee.
If Jordan is deposed, it is unsure who would pay the legal bills on Jordan’s behalf. One source suggested it might be the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). Jordan is not known for having a robust campaign war chest. He has not demonstrated the fundraising prowess of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.).