Two-term Republican U.S. Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina is under fire after telling CBS News she is unfamiliar with allegations – including public testimony and on-the-record reports – that House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) ignored the sexual assault and abuse of college athletes, some of them his own wrestlers, when he was their coach at Ohio State. She is also facing heat for saying she knows nothing about allegations Chairman Jordan “knew more about what Donald Trump had planned for January 6, than any other member of the House.”
Now, many are speaking out against her claims of ignorance of the multiple allegations against Jordan while also endorsing him to become Speaker of the House.
“I will tell you today, I am going to be supporting Jim Jordan, for Speaker for a number of reasons,” Congresswoman Mace told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “I think that his values, his work ethic, his ability to just run circles around everyone with regards to policy and pushing forward.” She lauded his as “a workhorse,” and added, “We’ve got to put the American people first and move this country forward and do it in a positive way. And I think he’s going to bring that to the table.”
Brennan replied, “I know you’ve been outspoken about defending victims of sexual assault. Do the past allegations against Jim Jordan that he turned a blind eye to sexual abuse give you any reservations? How do you square that?”
“Yeah,” Rep. Mace responded, “I’m not familiar or aware with that. He’s not indicted on anything that I’m aware of. And so I don’t I don’t know anything and I can’t speak to that. But, I will say that I have been, as you said Margaret–”
“It’s the Ohio State University allegations,” Brennan interjected.
“Yeah, I don’t, I don’t know anything about that,” said Mace. “What I do know is that I’ve been a very strong voice for women. I’ve talked to Jim Jordan, and Steve Scalise about that. I’ve been a very strong advocate for rape victims. As you mentioned earlier, the Judiciary Committee as- with him as chairman, recently passed a rape kit bill that Barbara Lee and I are working on. And those are the facts and the data that I have to work with. And I’ve had a very positive experience with him in that regard.”
On Sunday, Rolling Stone noted, “Mace is correct that Jim Jordan has not been indicted, but he was named as a defendant in a suit against the university in 2018 that alleged OSU doctor Richard Strauss abused athletes on the team over the course of decades, including while Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach. Jordan has denied knowing about the abuse during his tenure, but at least six former OSU wrestlers have said Jordan was aware but failed to act. An independent investigative report released by the university in 2021 concluded that Strauss abused at least 177 students.”
Brennan also confronted Mace about her strong support of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who is responsible for the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week. When asked her thoughts about allegations that Gaetz may have engaged in sexual misconduct, illegal drug use, and public corruption, which the House Ethics Committee is investigating, Mace again claimed ignorance.
“Well, I don’t again, he’s not indicted for anything. I don’t really, I don’t know much about it–” she told Brennan.
And when Brennan confronted Mace with remarks made by Republican former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who served as Vice Chair of the U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, Mace also said she was unaware.
“Jim Jordan knew more about what Donald Trump had planned for January 6, than any other member of the House of Representatives,” Cheney said in video Brennan played for Mace. “And if the Republicans decide that Jim Jordan should be the Speaker of the House, there would no longer be any possible way to argue that a group of elected Republicans could be counted on to defend the Constitution.”
Brennan called that “a chilling statement.” Mace said, “Well, again, there’s going to be all sorts of issues that we agree on and disagree on.”
Here’s how some are responding to Mace’s insistence she is “not familiar or aware” of the allegations Chairman Jordan ignored the sexual assault and abuse of college athletes, some of whom he coached.
Former Republican and former federal and state prosecutor Ron Filipkowski on Sunday reposted video from 2020 of one of Jordan’s former wrestlers testifying before the Ohio House about the abuse. Filipkowski added, “Since Nancy Mace said today she didn’t know anything about this, and since Jim Jordan appears to be lining up the votes for Speaker, this was the Captain of his wrestling team begging the OH legislature to extend the statute of limitations because of his coverup but they refused.”
The Nation’s Justice correspondent, Elie Mystal, called Mace’s remarks about Jordan allegedly ignoring his own wrestlers saying they had been victims of the team doctor’s sexual misconduct, “the Russian nesting doll of willful blindness.”
MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan called Mace “comically dishonest.”
Professor of law and MSNBC contributor Joyce Vance said, “‘I don’t know anything’ feels pretty evergreen for her folks right now.”
Journalist James Surowiecki wrote, “Nancy Mace can cite chapter and verse on allegations about Hunter Biden’s finances. But when it comes to the six Ohio [State] wrestlers who said Jim Jordan did nothing when they told him the team doctor had sexually abused them, her response is, ‘I see nothing. I hear nothing.'”
He added, “A reminder that Nancy Mace cracked jokes about Trump sleeping with Stormy Daniel’s and Matt Gaetz supposedly sleeping with underage girls. But sure, she’s heard nothing of the allegations against Jordan.”
Watch the videos above or at this link.