WASHINGTON — House Speaker Paul Ryan is defending an Ohio congressman accused of ignoring college wrestlers’ allegations of abuse, calling him “a man of honesty, a man of integrity.”
Ryan is also suggesting the House Ethics Committee doesn’t need to examine the allegations against Republican Rep. Jim Jordan. He says that panel isn’t supposed to investigate incidents from “a couple of decades ago when they weren’t in Congress.”
Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University from 1987 to 1995. Some former wrestlers have said Jordan knew about allegations that they were inappropriately groped by doctor Richard Strauss.
Jordan has denied that. He is a leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
Ryan said he backs Ohio State’s investigation of the allegations. He did not explicitly state whether he believes Jordan’s denial.
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