Fourth wrestler accuses Jordan
A fourth former wrestler from Ohio State University is accusing U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan of knowing about sexual abuse when he was an assistant wrestling coach there.
WASHINGTON — A fourth former wrestler from Ohio State University is accusing U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan of knowing about sexual abuse when he was an assistant wrestling coach there.
Shawn Dailey told NBC News he was groped several times by team physician Dr. Richard Strauss. While Dailey said he did not directly report the abuse to Jordan, he said Strauss’ abuse was mentioned several times in locker room conversations that Jordan was involved in.
“I participated with Jimmy and the other wrestlers in locker-room talk about Strauss,” Dailey said. “It was very common knowledge in the locker room that if you went to Dr. Strauss for anything, you would have to pull your pants down.”
Dailey’s accusations come after other university wrestlers said Jordan knew about Strauss, who died in 2005, and did not act.
Jordan, R-Ohio, has denied the allegations and said if he knew about abuse, he would have reported it.
Jordan’s office also said that it had not been contacted by investigators from the university looking into the accusations. The Associated Press reported Thursday that Jordan’s office said records show that Ohio State’s attempts to contact him went to a nonexistent email address.
Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, the firm representing Ohio State, released emails by Seattlebased Perkins Coie to the incorrect address on May 14 and sent a follow-up on May 24.
Jordan’s spokesman Ian Fury told the AP that a Jim.jordan@mail.house.gov address was “nonexistent” and did not create a bounce-back email to people who use it outside the House firewall.
Kathleen Trafford, a spokeswoman for Porter Wright, tried calling Jordan’s office on June 12, but Fury said “we have no record of a call.”
President Donald Trump defended Jordan at a campaign rally in Montana on Thursday, saying he believed the Ohio Republican and did not believe the accusations.
“Jim Jordan is one of the most outstanding people I’ve met since I’ve been in Washington. I believe him 100 percent,” the president said. “No question in my mind. I believe Jim Jordan 100 percent. He’s an outstanding man.”