Jim Jordan OSU Scandal Explained as Representative Elected Minority Leader
Jim Jordan's GOP leadership win renews attention on disputed claims tied to the Ohio State abuse scandal.
Jim Jordan, a Republican U.S. Representative from Ohio, has been elected as the new House minority leader after the party lost control of the chamber in the November 2026 midterm elections. Jordan, who served as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University in the late 1980s and through the mid-1990s, has been accused of knowing about sexual misconduct by team doctor Richard Strauss during that time.
An independent investigation found that Strauss sexually abused at least 177 male student-athletes and other students while working at Ohio State. Jordan has denied knowing of any abuse while he coached at Ohio State, with his spokesman stating that Jordan never saw or heard of any abuse and would have dealt with it if he had. Despite the allegations, Jordan has become the most prominent House Republican as he prepares to lead the party in the 120th Congress.
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