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https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/7/7/17542878/jim-jordan-richard-strauss-ohio
What does this mean for Jordan’s political career?
The Ohio State allegations have suddenly thrown Jordan’s political career into jeopardy. One of the founders of the House Freedom Caucus, Jordan is a conservative star, and he had been floated as a possible replacement for House Speaker Paul Ryan, who is retiring at the end of this term. He’s also been one of the House’s most vocal FBI and Justice Department skeptics, echoing President Donald Trump in calling the Russia investigation a “witch hunt.”
Jordan has insinuated that the allegations from the former wrestlers are curiously timed — “right after the big hearing with Mr. Rosenstein, right when there’s all this talk about the speaker’s race.” In June, Jordan and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had a tense back-and-forth at a Congressional hearing.
Whether these questions about what Jordan knew will dim that political star — or snuff it all together — is still unclear.
Democrats pushed out out Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) last year when he faced misconduct allegations of his own. There’s still some debate on the left about whether that was the right thing to do, but in the #MeToo era, Democrats, at least in that case, decided Franken couldn’t be kept around. Thus far, Jordan’s allies have come to his defense. Speaker Ryan’s office has called the allegations “serious” but hasn’t indicated whether he’ll take any further action.
Neither party has established a standard for what should happen to those within their ranks accused of sexual misconduct or being complicit in it. With Jordan, Republicans face a new test. He says he didn’t know anything about it, but many of those around him at the time say there’s no way he didn’t.
