By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a primary figure in efforts to challenge the outcome of the 2020 election, will not force a third vote on his attempt after running into staunch Republican opposition. Instead, as first reported by the New York Times, Jordan plans to endorse Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina – the Acting Speaker, to fill the role through Jan. 3. Among the primary reasons Jordan failed to secure the required 217 votes, some of his colleagues like GOP Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, refuses to say former President Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 election. As Speaker, Jordan would wield significant influence over the 2024 presidential election.
Another stumbling block for Jordan was his tenure at Ohio State University, where former wrestlers accuse him of neglecting sexual abuse during his tenure as an assistant wrestling coach in the 1980s and ’90s, no direct accusations of abuse have been lodged against him. Nevertheless, the allegations persist, earning Jordan the moniker “Gym Jordan” among his critics. In April 2018, an investigation into Dr. Richard Strauss, a university physician, was initiated following allegations of sexual misconduct by former wrestler Mike DiSabato. The inquiry concluded in 2019, revealed that Strauss had sexually abused at least 177 male students, including 48 members of the wrestling team, between 1978 and 1998. The misconduct ranged from inappropriate questioning to overt fondling.
The investigation revealed that university staff were aware of Strauss’ abusive behavior as early as 1979. A limited inquiry into his conduct had been conducted in 1996, after which Strauss retired voluntarily in 1998. Strauss took his own life in 2005. In July 2018, several former wrestlers alleged that Jordan failed to intervene in the abuse, asserting he was well-informed. The controversy surrounding Jordan’s involvement in the matter has persisted amidst his bid for the Speaker’s position. Jordan’s political history has also come under scrutiny. He was among the lawmakers who supported Trump’s baseless claims about the 2020 election and sought to obstruct the certification of the results.
Advocacy groups such as The Republican Accountability Project have actively opposed Jordan’s elevation, advocating for an alternative candidate considering concerns about the stability of democracy in the wake of recent leadership upheaval within the GOP. During his quest for the Speaker’s gavel, several Republican lawmakers signaled their hesitancy to support him, which complicated Jordan’s prospects because he needed near-unanimous Republican backing to secure the top job.
All 212 Democrats in Congress voted for New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, as Speaker. “Jordan would preside over the counting of electoral votes in the next election. After he was deeply involved in trying to overturn the last one. Just when you think they can’t be more irresponsible, they prove you wrong,” Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California said. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee, conveyed his disbelief in a subsequently deleted post on social media, “I can’t believe this is happening after January 6. If Trump can get to another electoral college House Speaker will be able to subvert the votes of the people/ This is the first act in insurrection 2.0.”
Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar of California slammed Jordan for trying to make backroom deals, with 22 Republicans complaining that Jordan and his camp had taken to bullying and threatening members for votes. “While the Republican candidate for speaker is making late-night backroom deals to secure the gavel, Leader Jeffries has once again extended the hand of bipartisanship for a path forward,” Aguilar said. “One thing was very clear [Tuesday]: the vote total [was] 212 to 200. The people’s house has spoken, and leader Jeffries has the support to be speaker that this country needs.”
Aguilar further slammed Jordan as a speaker candidate who “supports an extreme agenda and is hell-bent on banning abortion nationwide, gutting Medicare, gutting Social Security and giving cover to January 6 attackers.” “Those aren’t the values that we share,” he said.
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