Editors note: U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan has again stepped into the national spotlight, this time by declaring himself a candidate to become the next speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives following the ouster of California’s Kevin McCarthy. Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer is recirculating past coverage of Jordan to help readers better understand the Champaign County Republican’s background and ascension within the Republican congressional ranks. This story originally published Feb. 14, 2020.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The same day that U.S. House Republicans named Rep. Jim Jordan as the next top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, a former captain of Ohio State University’s wrestling team told a hearing in Columbus that Jordan knew wrestlers on his team were being sexually abused when he served as its assistant coach from 1987 to 1995.

It wasn’t the first time the accusation was made. Although Jordan has repeatedly insisted he didn’t know team doctor Richard Strauss was sexually mistreating athletes in his charge, former OSU wrestler Adam DiSabato called Jordan a “liar” at a Tuesday House Civil Justice Committee hearing on a bill that would let Strauss’ victims sue Ohio State for damages. DiSabato also said Jordan contacted him repeatedly in July 2018, after media outlets quoted his brother, Michael DiSabato, saying Jordan knew about Strauss’ abuse.

“Jim Jordan called me crying, groveling… begging me to go against my brother…That’s the kind of cover-up that’s going on there,” said DiSabato, who is among a group of former OSU wrestlers who filed lawsuits that allege the school ignored Strauss’ abuse.

Jordan’s spokesman says DiSabato, and all the others who have accused Jordan, are the ones who are lying.

“Congressman Jordan never saw or heard of any abuse, and if he had he would have dealt with it,” said a statement from Jordan communications director Ian Fury.

There’s no dispute that Strauss, who killed himself in 2005, abused numerous Ohio State University students while working as a doctor for athletes in its swimming/diving, wrestling, gymnastics, fencing, and lacrosse programs. A report from independent investigators that OSU released last year concluded Strauss abused at least 177 students from 1978 to 1998. The largest number of abuse claims - 48 - came from the wrestling team.

The dispute over whether Jordan knew about the abuse has taken on a political tone, given Jordan’s high profile as a social conservative who vigorously defended President Donald Trump during the recent impeachment proceedings.

Critics have dubbed him “Gym Jordan” and compare the accusations of him turning a blind eye to Strauss’ sexual abuse to his defense of a president who has bragged about physically abusing women and whom roughly two dozen women have accused of sexual assault or misconduct.

Jordan has aggressively pushed back. A website defending Jordan collected more than a dozen statements from former wrestlers and coaches that back him up, and a public relations firm hired by Jordan’s re-election campaign disseminated those statements to reporters.

“We knew of no abuse,” Jordan told multiple television stations in 2018. “Never heard of abuse. If we had, we’d have reported it.”

Here are former wrestlers who say Jordan was aware of abuse, and other wrestlers and coaches who say he wasn’t aware of improprieties:

He knew:

Michael DiSabato:

Michael DiSabato, who wrestled at Ohio State from 1987 to 1991, was among the first people to claim Jordan knew about Strauss’ abuse. He says he was first assaulted by Strauss as a 14-year-old freshman at Bishop Ready High School, when Strauss went to the school to conduct “body fat tests” on its wrestlers. He compares Strauss’ behavior to that of former Michigan State University physician Larry Nassar, whose victims won a $500 million settlement from Michigan State University in May of 2018.

“Jim Jordan saw all of it,” DiSabato told the Columbus Dispatch.

Jordan notes DiSabato has a long-running feud with Ohio State and was embroiled in legal battles with the school after losing his sports licensing agreement.

A Columbus Monthly profile of DiSabato describes him as “a sports marketer who’s waged many scorched-earth battles with his alma mater,” and describes a series of crusades he’s engaged in that disintegrated into “litigation, broken promises and nasty accusations.” In 2018, he was sentenced to a suspended 180-day jail sentence following a conviction for telephone harassment of attorney and sports agent Bret Adams, to whom he repeatedly sent unwanted text messages.

Adam DiSabato:

Michael’s older brother, Adam DiSabato, won two state wrestling titles in high school, was a three-time All-American at Ohio State and is in the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame. His Tuesday appearance was on behalf of House Bill 249, which would allow Strauss’ victims to sue OSU by waiving the statute of limitations for the case.

At the hearing, he accused Jordan of “throwing us under the bus, all of us. He’s a coward.”

Matt Finkes, a former Ohio State University and New York Jets football player who knows the DiSabatos from OSU athletics circles, on Wednesday told cleveland.com that Adam DiSabato called him in July 2018 to apologize for his younger brother’s efforts to link Jordan to the Strauss scandal. Finkes, who is Jordan’s second cousin, said Adam DiSabato didn’t know how to directly contact Jordan, so he asked Finkes to relay the message.

Finkes said he thought it was “interesting” that Adam DiSabato had changed his position. Finkes, who works as a fundraiser for OSU’s hospital, said he was discussing Adam DiSabato’s turnaround because he’s friends with Jordan, not because of his role with the university.

Last year, Michael DiSabato was convicted of telecommunications harassment in Franklin County Municipal Court for repeatedly sending Finkes unwanted text messages and emails about the case. Finkes, who did not know Strauss, says he repeatedly asked Michael DiSabato to stop. He says he went to the police when DiSabato ignored his requests and personally attacked Finkes on social media. Judge Ted Barrows ordered Michael DiSabato to have no contact with Finkes.

A lawsuit that Michael DiSabato and dozens of other former OSU athletes filed against the school last year claimed that Finkes retaliated against DiSabato for making public claims against Jordan by posting DiSabato’s social security number on social media and calling him a “rat” on a local radio show.

Dunyasha Yetts:

According to NBC News, former Ohio State wrestler Dunyasha Yetts was the first person to say he spoke to Jordan directly about Strauss. He says he complained to Jordan and OSU’s chief wrestling coach, Russ Hellickson, after he went to see Strauss for a thumb injury and Strauss tried to pull down his pants. Yetts was the Big Ten wrestling champion in the 142-pound weight class in 1994.

Yetts said he and his teammates talked to Jordan numerous times about Strauss.

“For God’s sake, Strauss’ locker was right next to Jordan’s and Jordan even said he’d kill him if he tried anything with him,” Yetts told NBC.

Yetts, who served 18 months in prison for stealing nearly $2 million from investors, is a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit against Ohio State with Adam DiSabato and several other former students who say Strauss abused them.

Yetts told NBC that he and many of his former teammates were outraged after Jordan claimed he was exonerated by the independent investigation.

“For me this is personal because it’s a lie he keeps telling that he didn’t know,” Yetts told the network. “If you’re saying you didn’t know your guys were being assaulted by a team doctor and you found that out in a report, the first thing out of your mouth shouldn’t be ‘I was vindicated.’ If I knew one of my brothers was assaulted, the first thing I would do is run across the country and say ‘I’m sorry this happened to you.’”

Shawn Dailey:

Another OSU wrestler in the mid 1990s, Shawn Dailey, told NBC Strauss groped him a half dozen times. While he didn’t report the abuse directly to Jordan, he said Jordan took part in conversations where Strauss’ abuse of many other team members came up. Dailey said he was surprised to hear Jordan say he knew nothing about it.

“I participated with Jimmy and the other wrestlers in locker-room talk about Strauss. We all did,” Dailey told NBC. “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 said he witnessed Yetts complaining to Jordan about Strauss trying to pull down his pants to examine the thumb injury.

Dailey told NBC he spoke multiple times to investigators who questioned him about Jordan’s actions at the time, as well as the actions of the other coaches.

David Range:

David Range, who wrestled for Ohio State in the late 1980s, told The Washington Post Jordan had to have known about Strauss’ misconduct because it happened regularly and team members talked about it.

“Jordan definitely knew that these things were happening — yes, most definitely,” Range said. “It was there. He knew about it because it was an everyday occurrence.”

Range told the publication he never discussed the issue directly with Jordan, one on one, and did not know whether anyone made a formal report, but he said Jordan was present during group conversations in the locker room about Strauss’ behavior.

“We talked about it all the time in the locker room” while Jordan was there, he said. “Everybody joked about it and talked about it all the time.”

Reid Delman:

Reid Delman, who said he joined the team in 1986, told The Washington Post that Strauss showered with the wrestlers for no apparent reason and conducted uncomfortably long groin area checks for hernias during exams. He told the publication he didn’t know if anyone filed a formal complaint against Strauss and does not remember having specific conversations with Jordan about the doctor’s behavior.

He said it would have been “extremely difficult” for Jordan and Hellickson to not have heard locker room discussions about Strauss.

“There was so much talk I can’t imagine how someone could have made it through, being around everyone and not know,” Delman told NBC. “To me that doesn’t make sense that they would not have known.”

Delman expressed admiration for Jordan to the network and dismay at his insistence that he knew nothing.

“I don’t want to be part of something that’s getting Jim out of office,” he said. “I don’t even like the idea of it. I do find it surprising that he would even take that approach.”

Unnamed referee:

In a November lawsuit that dozens of victims filed against Ohio State, an unnamed wrestling referee claimed Strauss masturbated while staring at him in the shower. The referee says he told Jordan about the incident in 1994 or 1995, but Jordan brushed it off.

“Yeah, that’s Strauss,” the referee – identified only as John Doe 42 – says Jordan and Hellickson told him.

He did and he didn’t know:

Mark Coleman:

Former UFC world heavyweight champion Mark Coleman, a 1988 NCAA wrestling champ at Ohio State and a member of the 1992 Olympic team, initially told the Wall Street Journal that Jordan was aware of Strauss’ abuse, but did nothing.

“There’s no way unless he’s got dementia or something that he’s got no recollection of what was going on at Ohio State,” Coleman said of Jordan. “I have nothing but respect for this man. I love this man. But he knew as far as I’m concerned.”

A few weeks later, Coleman released a statement that said he had no direct knowledge that Jordan knew about Strauss’ misconduct. An affidavit from Coleman said his words were taken out of context.

“I am disappointed with many of the public statements made by Mr. DiSabato and his personal attacks on individuals employed by the university and others,” Coleman’s affidavit said. “I was a victim of Dr. Strauss and like many others, I wish to cooperate with the investigation to see that whatever justice is available is achieved.”

He didn’t know:

Michael Alf:

Michael Alf, who joined the team in the late 1980s, told The Washington Post that Ohio State’s locker room was “definitely disturbing,” with non-team members using the showers to ogle the wrestlers. While wrestlers joked about issues like Strauss’ behavior, he told the publication he didn’t recall those conversations happening in front of Jordan.

“He’s the most honest person I’ve ever met,” he said of Jordan. “The thing is, if he saw something like that, he wouldn’t have tolerated it. ... If Jimmy says he didn’t know, I believe him.”

Alf told NBC he never told Jordan about the “weird” physicals that Strauss subjected him to, but all the players went through the same thing.

“I believe Jim Jordan is telling the truth in that he did not think or know we were in danger,” Alf told the network. “If he had known, he would have acted.”

George Pardos:

George Pardos, who wrestled at OSU from 1988 to 1993, told The Hill it was unfathomable that Jordan would have turned a blind eye to alleged abuse, recalling that Jordan once picked up and carried the much-heavier Pardos after he severely injured his knee and once checked a teammate into a drug rehabilitation center.

He also said he found Strauss to be “weird,” but didn’t experience inappropriate touching or sexual abuse during numerous examinations. In the interview, Pardos said he believed former teammates were trying to cash in after Michigan State’s settlement with Nassar’s victims.

“For Jimmy to know that this was going on and not do anything about it, it wouldn’t happen. It’s completely out of character,” said Pardos. “I’ve had dinner at his house, worked out with him. This didn’t happen.”

Dan George:

Dan George wrestled at Ohio State from 1984 to 1988 and was captain his final two years. Currently a wrestling and football coach at New Jersey’s Long Branch High School, he told the Asbury Park Press that “Jordan is a tremendous human being who has always lived his life beyond reproach. If he had any knowledge of any misconduct, he would deal with it. There’s no question in my mind.”

Andrew Skove:

Andrew Skove also wrestled at Ohio State from 1984 to 1988. He was the team’s captain, as well as a 1988 All-American. He told the Asbury Park Press that he supports Jordan “100 percent.”

“I’m not aware of any incidents that could have potentially been covered up,’’ he added.

Statements released by Jordan’s publicist:

Jordan’s campaign retained a publicist who released statements from former wrestlers and coaches defending Jordan.

“While I was a member of the OSU wrestling team, I gained nothing but respect for Coach Jordan and learned a great deal from him about character and the principles of hard work. Not only was he a great wrestler, but I thought him to be great person operating from a high place of integrity as well. I was treated with respect, felt it was a safe environment and I have nothing but fond memories of my interactions with Coach Jordan, other coaches and the team. If there was wrong doing, I hope justice will be served and that anyone affected by any inappropriate behavior is able to find peace in their lives.” - Lenny Schork, an OSU wrestler in 1994

“I am writing in support of Jim Jordan. I wrestled at The Ohio State University for Coach Jordan in the years 1993 to 1998. The allegations that Jim Jordan acted inappropriately are 100% false. Jim Jordan is an ethical, outstanding man.” - Rob Archer, an OSU wrestler from 1993 to 1998 and currently chief wrestling coach at Huntington High School in West Virginia

“I am writing this email in support of Jim Jordan. I wrestled at Ohio State from 1994-1999 when Jim was an assistant coach. I feel that Jim is a very honest and ethical person and always acted in the best interest of our teammates. I feel that trying to make this political in any way devalues even more the people who were personally affected by this.” - Cullen Waugh, an OSU wrestler from 1994 to 1999

“Thoughts with your family during these times. As a member of OSU wrestling team (1987-92) I stand behind you! We know how the accusers have pissed away millions of dollars and are looking for a quick infusion of money!” - Ferdinand Miller, an OSU wrestler from 1987 to 1992

“I feel compelled to speak up concerning the allegations surrounding the Doctor Strauss situation. I wrestled at Ohio State from 1982 to 1987. During that time Dr. Strauss was our team Doctor. Most of us thought he was a little odd but during my 5 years I can say that I never saw Dr. Strauss do anything inappropriate.

“Also never was I made aware by any of my teammates that he had done anything inappropriate. My 5th and final year Russ Hellickson was my Head Coach and Jim Jordan one of my assistants. I do not have any knowledge, nor do I believe that they knew of any inappropriate behaviors by Doctor Strauss. Furthermore I do believe, knowing them both as I do, that they would have taken action had they been aware of any abuse.” - Jim Picolo, an OSU wrestler from 1982 to 1987

“I never once heard a teammate say that they had been violated by Dr. Strauss. Any accusation that the coaching staff overlooked or turned a blind eye to wrongful actions by him is just wrong. I have known Jim Jordan for 45 years. Not only was Jim a great wrestling coach, but he has also consistently proven to be a man of highest integrity and certainly would not have turned his back on any wrong-doing.” - Andy Stickley, Jordan’s brother-in-law and an OSU wrestler from 1983 through 1987

“Russ Hellickson and Jim Jordan recruited me as a heavyweight. I always felt they looked out for best interest of our team and believe they would have reported any sort of misconduct. I suffered an injury to my leg early in my career and had considerable interaction with Doctor Strauss. He always treated me in a professional manner.” - Rick Burlenski, an OSU wrestler from 1989 through 1994

“I absolutely believe that Jim Jordan had zero idea about Dr Strauss’s behavior. Dr Stauss conducted his transgressions behind closed doors and regretfully, I never told anyone except for my father. Jim Jordan is an honorable man that does not deserve this unwarranted attention.” - Matt Mondalek, an OSU wrestler from 1995 to 1999

“From the very first day I met Jim, I can say without reservation that Jim’s character is beyond reproach. I have ALWAYS known Jim to “do the right thing” and to live his life according to the strong morals upon which he was raised. As a coach and as a friend, Jim has ALWAYS been a man on which I could depend and provide me with wise counsel for any challenges that I may be trying to work through. He has NEVER demonstrated any lapses of judgment with me and is one of the most honest, truthful and forthright men I have ever met.” - Stephen Mendocino, an OSU wrestler from 1983 to 1986

“From the first day I met Jim Jordan as a student-athlete, he has been the most honorable man I have ever known and my respect and admiration for all he has done and accomplished is at the very highest level. We dealt with many challenges together when he was one of my assistant coaches, and it’s important to know that neither Jim nor I would sidestep or avoid challenges for our wrestlers just because the circumstances were painful or uncomfortable – in fact, those are the kind of circumstances that motivated Jim the most. At no time while Jim Jordan was a coach with me at Ohio State did either of us ignore abuse of our wrestlers. That is not the kind of man Jim is, and it is not the kind of coach that I was.” - Russ Hellickson, head wrestling coach at OSU when Jordan was an assistant and currently the head wrestling coach at the University of Wisconsin

“I wrestled for and coached with Jim. I fully believe that Jim did not know of any allegations of sexual abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss at the Ohio State University. Jim is a leader that was very protective of his athletes. He would ask how you were doing in an effort to understand your mental state. It wasn’t a formality, but a genuine request to communicate. He wanted to make sure you were ok and help problem solve.” - Rex Holman, former assistant OSU wrestling coach

“During my tenure with the program, I was never approached by any wrestler of the Ohio State Team indicating that they had been sexually abused. In addition, during my time with the team, Russ Helickson and Jim Jordan never mentioned to me that they had been approached by a team member alleging sexual abuse. In fact, I found that both coaches were available seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, for their wrestlers regarding any wrestling, academic, or personal matter that may have occurred. To this day I believe I am a better man having worked with both Russ and Jim as well as my fellow volunteer assistants.” - John Dougherty, a volunteer assistant wrestling coach with Hellickson and Jordan from 1986 to 1988

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