Jordan’s Leadership Win Revives Ohio State Abuse Questions
Jordan prevailed over Louisiana congressman Steve Scalise, 106-73, via a private vote as Republicans prepare to become the House minority in January. Democrats secured the House in the November 3 elections, and Speaker Mike Johnson is stepping aside from party leadership.
The leadership vote has revived questions about Jordan’s time coaching wrestling at Ohio State in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Former wrestlers and a referee have alleged that he knew of sexual misconduct by university doctor Richard Strauss. Jordan has repeatedly denied knowing about abuse and has said no athlete reported it to him.
A university-commissioned independent investigation concluded Strauss had sexually abused 177 male student-athletes and others at the university. It also found university personnel had been aware of concerns about Strauss years before meaningful action was taken. The investigation’s finding about Strauss does not resolve the disputed allegations about Jordan’s knowledge.
Jordan, who has represented Ohio in Congress since 2007 and chaired the House Judiciary Committee since 2023, campaigned on his experience leading investigations and confronting Democrats. He will lead Republicans in a diminished conference as Democrats take control of the House.
Republicans Elevate Jordan Despite Unanswered Ohio State Abuse Allegations
House Republicans have handed their conference leadership to Jim Jordan, even as serious questions about his response to abuse allegations from his Ohio State coaching years remain a part of his public record. Jordan beat Steve Scalise, 106-73, as Republicans prepare to enter the minority in January.
Former wrestlers and a referee have alleged Jordan knew about sexual misconduct by university doctor Richard Strauss. Jordan denies knowing of abuse and says no athlete reported it to him. But an independent investigation commissioned by Ohio State determined Strauss had sexually abused 177 male student-athletes and others at the university, and that university personnel had heard concerns years before meaningful action followed.
The investigation’s findings about Strauss do not establish what Jordan knew. Still, his elevation makes the disputed allegations newly relevant: he will become the most prominent House Republican while Democrats control the chamber. His colleagues have chosen to entrust him with leadership despite the controversy and his denials.
Jordan has emphasized his record confronting Democrats through congressional investigations. The new role will put that combative approach at the center of the minority party’s strategy, while the questions about his years at Ohio State follow him into leadership.
Jordan’s Leadership Win Brings Old, Disputed Allegations Back Into Focus
House Republicans chose Jim Jordan to lead them in the minority, selecting a seasoned investigator to take on Democrats after the party’s midterm losses. Jordan beat Steve Scalise, 106-73, and will assume the role when Democrats take control of the House in January.
The vote has also brought renewed attention to accusations that Jordan was aware of sexual misconduct by Ohio State doctor Richard Strauss when Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach. Former wrestlers and a referee have made that claim; Jordan has consistently denied knowing of abuse and says no athlete reported it to him.
An independent university-commissioned investigation found Strauss abused 177 male student-athletes and others at the university. It also found university personnel knew of concerns years before meaningful action. Those findings establish the scale of Strauss’s abuse, but they do not settle the separate dispute over Jordan’s knowledge.
Jordan has made his experience challenging Democrats through investigations a central part of his leadership pitch. As Republicans enter the minority, his supporters have chosen a leader they see as prepared for that fight, even as the Ohio State allegations continue to shadow him.
Reported by Talking Points Memo, Newsweek.
