Watchdogs File Supplemental Information with OCE Regarding Rep. Jim Jordan Complaint
Watchdogs File Supplemental Information with Office of Congressional Ethics Regarding Rep. Jim Jordan Complaint
Yesterday, Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer and former White House chief ethics counsel Norman Eisen (2009-2011) sent a letter to the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) that provided supplemental information to a July 9, 2018 complaint they filed requesting that OCE conduct a preliminary inquiry into the conduct of Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH).
The July 9 complaint requested that OCE investigate whether Rep. Jordan is currently making false statements about his knowledge of whether members of the Ohio State wrestling team were being sexually abused by the team doctor during the time he was an assistant coach of the team.
According to the complaint, news stories in recent days have reported that seven former members of the Ohio State University wrestling team have stated that Rep. Jordan, a former assistant coach of the team, knew that the team doctor was engaged in sexual abuse of team members while Jordan was an assistant coach of the team and that Jordan failed to take any action to prevent the abuses.
In the supplemental letter to OCE sent yesterday, Wertheimer and Eisen provided information regarding an eighth former student wrestler at Ohio State who, according to a CNN report, has also said that Rep. Jordan knew of sexual abuses taking place at OSU during his time as assistant wrestling coach there. According to the CNN report:
Another former OSU wrestler has told CNN that Jim Jordan knew about the actions of Dr. Richard Strauss, the former Ohio State University medical doctor who treated athletes, and called Jordan, who is now a U.S. Congressman, a “phony” for saying he was not aware of any sexual abuse allegations.
“Jordan is denying this because obviously it would be political suicide for him,” the former wrestler said. “He’s still denying it. Jim Jordan knew. He didn’t do anything about it.”
Furthermore, according to the CNN report, the former wrestler stated that he “remembers directly telling Jordan about Strauss’ behavior.” With regard to Jordan’s denials that he had knowledge of the abuse, the wrestler is quoted as saying, “He’s sitting here and directly lying.”
According to published reports, a total of eight former student wrestlers have now claimed that Rep. Jordan knew that team members were being sexually abused while Jordan was a team coach. Rep. Jordan himself has repeatedly denied that he had any such knowledge.
The July 9 complaint requests that OCE investigate the direct conflict between the current statements being made by Rep. Jordan and the statements by former student wrestlers, to determine if Jordan is currently making false public statements to conceal his past knowledge of the sexual abuse of student wrestlers under his supervision, and to conceal his past failure to protect those students.
The original complaint was filed based on the Code of Official Conduct of the U.S. House of Representatives, which states in clause 1 of House Rule XXIII that Members of the House shall conduct themselves “at all times in a manner which shall reflect creditably on the House of Representatives.”
The supplemental letter sent to OCE yesterday also notes that House Speaker Paul Ryan has dismissed the idea that the House Ethics Committee should investigate Rep. Jordan, saying that “the panel isn’t supposed to investigate incidents from ‘a couple of decades ago when they weren’t in Congress.’”
The letter responds to Speaker Ryan’s claim and states:
House Speaker Ryan is wrong.
Our OCE request is about investigating alleged false statements that are currently being made by a sitting Member of Congress.
The letter states:
We have asked OCE to look at whether Rep. Jordan is currently using his congressional pulpit to mislead the public about his past behavior. In short, our request for an investigation relates to whether Rep. Jordan is now lying about his past knowledge of the sexual abuse that allegedly occurred when he was a wrestling coach.
Whether or not the House Ethics Committee has jurisdiction to sanction behavior of a Member that occurred prior to the Member’s service in the House, the Committee does have jurisdiction to determine whether Members are currently engaged in conduct that fails to “reflect creditably” on the House in violation of clause 1 of Rule XXIII of the House Rules.
The letter concludes:
If Rep. Jordan is currently lying to the public about his previous knowledge of the sexual abuse of wrestling team members, his lies on such a serious matter, and his attempt to cover-up a past failure to act to protect students under his care and supervision, would raise a very serious question about whether Rep. Jordan’s current behavior is in violation of clause 1 of House Rule XXIII, and thus is a matter plainly within the jurisdiction of the House Ethics Committee.
Read the full supplemental letter here.
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Released: July 12, 2018
