Per a new report from NBC News, a former wrestler at Ohio State University who is involved in ongoing litigation over years of sexual abuse from a now deceased former doctor for students says he intends to seek — and obtain — a deposition of Jim Jordan, the GOP Congressman from the state. Jordan assisted with coaching wrestling at the school in a period that coincides with some of the abuse that’s been revealed.
A major dispute between Jordan and the former athletes and their allies has been the prominent Congressman’s knowledge — or lack thereof — around what was transpiring. Jordan and his team have stuck to the insistence he didn’t know, which former wrestlers have ridiculed. “[Rocky] Ratliff, who along with [Mike] Schyck and John Doe is part of the remaining lawsuit against OSU, said he plans to depose Jordan and have him testify under oath that he was unaware that Strauss was abusing students,” NBC revealed. The point is, of course, to press him to take a stand, considering the serious consequences of lying under oath.
Jordan has been identified by name amid some of the legal challenges that have already been filed, where essentially the same allegations have been made — namely, that Jordan was in a position where it was essentially impossible for him to not know what was happening. NBC notes that a 2019 lawsuit asserted discussions about abuse by the deceased team doctor “occurred in front of Coach [Russ] Hellickson and Assistant Coach Jordan.”
Jordan’s argued abandonment of the now former students who relied upon him has come up amid his sputtering bid to become Speaker of the House, with one of his supporters, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), claiming in an interview that she didn’t even possess basic knowledge of the scandal, though its details have circulated for years. Multiple former wrestlers connected to the situation told NBC Jordan shouldn’t have the Speaker role.
At this stage, it’s unclear who on earth will become the next Speaker, with more than a week having already passed since Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) led a successful removal of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from the leading House role. While Republicans fail to arrive at a consensus, close to nothing is happening on the House floor, even as obviously major world events continue progressing.
