Portrait of Jim Jordan
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Jim Jordan on Deposition

Subject to depositions (strong)

TL;DR

Jim Jordan has been compelled to give sworn depositions in civil litigation concerning his past role at Ohio State University.

Key Points

  • The Congressman was deposed on July 2025 as part of a federal lawsuit against Ohio State University concerning the Strauss abuse scandal.

  • His office asserts that he never saw or heard of the abuse while serving as an assistant wrestling coach between 1986 and 1994.

  • He referred a former Justice Department attorney to the DOJ for criminal prosecution after the attorney declined to answer nearly all questions during a committee deposition in November 2025.

Summary

Jim Jordan's position regarding depositions has been defined by his required participation in sworn testimony related to the sexual abuse scandal involving former Ohio State University team doctor, Richard Strauss. As an assistant wrestling coach from 1986 to 1994, he faced allegations from former student athletes that he knew about the abuse and failed to act, leading to questioning under oath in a federal lawsuit against the university. His office has consistently maintained his denial of any awareness of the crimes, stating he would have dealt with them had he known about them. This recent deposition marked his first time under oath on the matter, contrasting with prior questioning during an independent university review where he claimed to have been exonerated.

Beyond his personal legal situation, the Congressman has publicly engaged with the deposition process in other high-profile political contexts, such as when his committee sought testimony from figures involved in special counsel investigations. In these instances, he has been critical of witnesses who refused to answer questions during their own depositions, referring former counsel staff to the Justice Department for obstruction after they cited various justifications for remaining silent. This demonstrates a pattern of utilizing the deposition process for congressional oversight while simultaneously being subjected to it in civil litigation.

Key Quotes

"And we will ask them all kinds of questions."

"...Chairman Jordan (R-OH) referred Thomas Windom, former Senior Assistant Special Counsel to Jack Smith, to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution after Windom declined to answer nearly every single one of the Committee's questions in a deposition, citing various and shifting justifications."

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Jim Jordan was questioned under oath in a deposition related to the federal lawsuit brought by former student athletes against Ohio State University. This deposition occurred in July 2025 regarding the historical sexual abuse committed by Dr. Richard Strauss, while Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach.

Jim Jordan, in his capacity as House Judiciary Chairman, has strongly opposed witnesses who refuse to answer questions during congressional committee depositions. He referred one former Special Counsel attorney to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution after the attorney declined to answer nearly every question in his testimony.

Yes, the Congressman had previously sat for questioning during the university's independent investigation into the matter before his July 2025 deposition in the federal lawsuit. His office has consistently used these previous interactions to state that he was exonerated and denies any awareness of the abuse.