Ex-GOP official: Jim Jordan will survive sex abuse accusations because he's from a safe conservative district
According to Katon Dawson -- the former head of the South Carolina GOP --Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) will likely weather the storm of accusations coming from former athletes at Ohio State University who claim the former wrestling coach looked the other way while they were attacked by a school doctor.
Appearing on MSNBC's AM Joy, host Joy Reid noted that seven abuse victims have come forward in the past week, all telling approximately the same story of complaints around the athletic facilities about alleged perpetrator Dr. Richard Strauss, which Jordan has dismissed as little more than "locker room talk."
Host Reid read from a report where a former athlete explained, "It was common knowledge in the locker room, if you went to the doctor about anything, you would have to pull your pants down," before confronting Dawson.
"I mean, if this was a Democrat, it would be like top story every day probably -- and that Democrat would be in some political jeopardy. Why is it that, with seven people coming out and saying that Jim Jordan knew of sexual abuse at OSU, he doesn't seem to be in any political jeopardy at all?" she asked.
"Jim Jordan's district in Ohio, it's equivalent to the Rep. Trey Gowdy's (R) district in South Carolina," Dawson explained. "He's won every election by overwhelming numbers. My calls into Ohio say he's solid, he'll be a congressman after the November race. That's the politics of it, that he's in great shape in his district."
"Now in the Freedom Caucus, that's another story," he continued, referring to the ultra-conservative off-shoot of the GOP where Jordan plays a leading role. "How this plays out and whether it becomes a lawsuit or any litigation, or whether in Ohio State's investigation they find any wrongdoing which will matter to the people of Ohio, Ohio State University and the Freedom Caucus."
"There is something about it that is reminiscent of [GOP U.S. Senate candidate] Roy Moore," Reid persisted. "The base of the party doesn't care about pretty serious allegations that involve children. He's accusing those who are bringing this out, he's attacking them. He's attacking the accusers and he's also claiming that it's politically motivated and that it all has to do with the [special counsel Robert] Mueller probe."
"It feels Roy Moore-esque," the MSNBC host added. "What's going on in the base of the Republican Party that allegations against children are dismissed out of hand by the party of conservative Christianity? It's a weird claim."
"I'm not going to classify 18-, 19-, 20-, 21-year-old men as children," the Republican bristled. "Second of all, there were consequences in the base. There were consequences for Roy Moore. Republicans stayed home and didn't go vote."
Reid went on to point out that Moore won the GOP primary handily despite the allegations of teenage sexual abuse, to which Dawson replied, "He certainly did lose the U.S. Senate seat and that had a lot to do it."
You can watch the video below via MSNBC: