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babylonsister

(171,056 posts) Wed Feb 27, 2019, 06:38 PM Feb 2019

Rep. Jim Jordan, Alleged Campus Sexual Abuse Ignorer, Attacks Michael Cohen's Character

February 27, 2019 2:42PM ET
Rep. Jim Jordan, Alleged Campus Sexual Abuse Ignorer, Attacks Michael Cohen’s Character
In light of damning allegations against Rep. Jim Jordan, many were outraged by his attacks on Michael Cohen’s character during congressional testimony on Wednesday.
By EJ Dickson

Rep. Jim Jordan (R.-Ohio) is many things: an ardent climate change denier, a fierce opponent of reproductive rights, an advocate for “traditional” marriage and a staunch defender of the President’s right to straight-up lie to the American people. He is also alleged to be something else: an ignorer of rampant campus sexual abuse, per 2018 reports that Jordan turned a blind eye to Ohio State University wrestlers’ allegations against a team doctor during his time as an assistant coach at OSU. (In 2018, Ohio State hired a law firm to conduct an ongoing investigation into the claims; the investigation is “nearing its conclusion,” per the campus newspaper the Ohio State University Lantern.)

That’s in part why people were taken aback when, during former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s testimony in front of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, Jordan started attacking Cohen by undermining his credibility and raising questions about his character.

During his remarks, Jordan pointed out that Cohen had already admitted to lying to Congress before, thus undermining the credibility of his testimony. “This might be the first time someone convicted of lying to Congress has appeared again so quickly in front of Congress,” he said. (Cohen is set to start a three-year prison term for lying to Congress, in addition to charges of tax evasion and campaign finance violation, in May.) Jordan also hinted that Cohen was part of a larger left-wing conspiracy to destroy President Trump, alleging that Cohen was a “patsy” for the Democrats.

Jordan also alleged that Cohen’s statement of remorse during his testimony was “nonexistent”: “He just debated a member of Congress, saying, ‘I really didn’t do anything wrong with the false bank things that I’m guilty of and going to prison for.'”

Cohen did not take kindly to Jordan’s attacks, saying in his testimony, “I pled guilty and I take responsibility for my actions. Shame on you, Mr. Jordan.” On social media, many people found Jordan’s behavior galling, particularly in light of allegations that Jordan, who served as assistant wrestling coach to the OSU wrestling team from 1987 to 1995, had turned a blind eye to sexual abuse allegations against team doctor Dr. Richard Strauss. Many were quick to point out Jordan’s apparent hypocrisy: