Former Wrestler: Rep. Jim Jordan Witnessed Lewd Acts in Showers and Attacks on Athletes

Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 02:31 pm

Don't Miss Sarah Jones's Essay On Kristi Noem Titled Predatory Is The Point On The Daily.

Several days ago we reported that:

“Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), one of Trump’s biggest defenders, who is trying to undermine the Russia investigation in the House, is accused of turning a blind eye to sexual abuse when he was a wrestling coach at Ohio State.”

Yesterday, we brought to light new facts and said that “Jordan’s sexual abuse scandal is getting even worse for him and it could cost him a seat in Congress and his party control of the U.S. House of Representatives.”

And yesterday, in a CNN interview, former wrestler Mike DiSabato came forward with additional information about sexual abuse by an Ohio State University doctor that Jordan knew about.  DiSabato said that the groping and attacks on athletes by Dr. Richard Strauss, was common knowledge within the locker room and Jordan witnessed them.

He told CNN that Jordan was present when the doctor committed “lewd acts while showering with athletes” when the lawmaker served as an assistant wrestling coach.

“Despite Rep. Jim Jordan’s denials, ex-Ohio State wrestler Mike DiSabato maintains Jordan knew of abuse allegations: “I talked to Jim Jordan… These conversations were not individual conversations, they were…with a group of athletes”

DiSabato said he was just 14 and was attended to by Dr. Strauss when visiting with his high school’s wrestling program. He said the facilities at the university made athletes to have to shower along with assistant coaches like Jordan, as well as Strauss.

According to DiSabato:

“There were conversations with a group of athletes who were complaining on a regular basis, not only about Dr. Strauss but also about the conditions there that forced us to take showers with Dr. Strauss and other university faculty members who had access to our shower facility. That led to lewd acts, masturbation, excessive soaping of the groin area.”

“And Dr. Strauss took a lot of showers and soaped himself a lot. When you look at the definition of sexual abuse and sexual assault — and Jim Jordan went on record saying he knew about the facilities, he took showers with us. He saw Dr. Strauss and others perform these acts in front of us.”

DiSabato said that he reached out to Jordan this year, and “begged him to get involved” with the investigation into the abuse, but the congressman simply “didn’t deny what was happening, and he said, ‘I just want to be left out of it.’

So far three former student wrestlers have said that it was “widely known that Strauss molested athletes” he was responsible for treating. They also said it is unbelievable to think Jordan, as an assistant coach, would have had no knowledge of the doctor’s alleged actions. One of the students said that he had reported the matter directly to Jordan.

These allegations against Jim Jordan are very serious and although the Congressman is innocent until proven guilty, they do deserve a full and complete investigation to determine if he knew about the sexual molestation of young athletes and did nothing about it. 

Leo Vidal

I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.