Former Ohio State wrestling coach urged Rep. Jim Jordan's accusers to recant, texts show

[riversedge]

Source: NBC News






Former coach Russ Hellickson told wrestlers he could help them release a statement in support of Jordan, according to texts shared with NBC News.

by Corky Siemaszko / Aug.01.2018 / 5:03 PM ET


Retired Ohio State wrestling coach Russ Hellickson reached out to two ex-team members and asked them to support their former assistant coach, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a day after they accused the powerful congressman of turning a blind eye to alleged sexual abuse by the team doctor, according to the wrestlers and text messages they shared with NBC News.

The former wrestlers said their ex-coach made it clear to them he was under pressure from Jordan to get statements of support from members of the team.

Hellickson’s appeal to help Jordan came after the congressman repeatedly said that he had no idea that team doctor Richard Strauss was allegedly molesting the athletes — contradicting three wrestlers who told NBC News that Jordan must have known since the abuse was frequently discussed in the locker room.

“I’m sorry you got caught up in the media train,” Hellickson wrote in a July 4 text to Dunyasha Yetts that the former wrestler shared with NBC News. “If you think the story got told wrong about Jim, you could probably write a statement for release that tells your story and corrects what you feel bad about. I can put you in contact with someone who would release it.”


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Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/former-ohio-state-wrestling-coach-urged-rep-jim-jordan-s-n896551

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If Jordan knew about the abuse, he needs to be found out and resign!




Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, walks to the House chamber on Capitol Hill on July 26, 2018.J. Scott Applewhite / AP
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Screen grabs of text messages provided by Dunyasha Yetts. Courtesy Dunyasha Yetts

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[emulatorloo]

2. "I'm sorry you got caught up in the media train" Disgustingly manipulative n/t

[sakabatou]

3. To the greatest page

Russ Hellickson sounds like he's trying to bribe the students.

[Leghorn21]

4. K&fknR!!!

[Maraya1969]

5. Sorry you were horribly abused but do you mind recanting it so Jim Jordan can win the

speaker-ship.

F. U.

[LisaM]

13. Of course, none of this is funny, but....

my BF was talking about the speaker-of-the-house wrestling coach who abused players and I insisted he must mean Denny Hastert, and we went back and forth for a few minutes until I realized, "oh, you mean the other wrestling-coach-speaker of the house who abused players guy".

Without defending any of this atrocious behavior, I have to say that I don't understand how these guys have the nerve to run for office in the first place. I wouldn't even want the public to uncover a bad grade on a college transcript but these men must have known that they broke the law, and ran for office anyway.

[erlewyne]

14. Excellent LisaM!!!

I forgot about Hastert and wrestling and house speaker-ship.!
The circle keeps getting tighter ... what goes around comes
around.

I was afraid that Jordan would bring Urban Meyer down a-la
Paterno. Well Urban is now on paid leave. The G.O.P. tent
is swampy!!!

EW

[LisaM]

18. It's all so tawdry.

There's probably more of them lurking in the locker rooms, too.

I come from a family of coaches and I can assure you that there are plenty of coaches who don't behave this way.

[erlewyne]

19. Thank you LisaM

Well said and understood. I have only experience with the
plenty who do not act this way. But, you cannot allow subversive
activity in your jurisdiction. Once you attain the mantle of
restricting such activities they will disappear. Stop spousal
abuse and illegal sexual activities immediately. A tough job
at first but then it becomes easy unless you are a co-conspirator.

This includes our congress in their loyalty to their party over
patriotism.

EW

[rurallib]

15. when you think no decent human would go that low

Repugs go way lower

[trof]

6. Jordan is scum. K&R

[magicarpet]

7. Recant and I will do my best to protect you from the horrible smear campaign...

... by Gym Jordan if you do not absolve him of any wrong doing.

[DoctorJoJo]

8. OSU Football Coach, Urban Meyer, Has Just Been Put On Paid Leave, ....

... as they investigate his turning a blind eye in another abuse case. Guessing he'll be available to campaign for Shower Boy, Gym Jordan, as a fellow "See No Evil" character witness!

[Racerdog1]

9. Little bastard

Lies and more lies, all these republifuck assholes have. Piece of shit little bastard knows his gravy train may be ending.

[Princess Turandot]

10. Hellickson likely knew as well..

..he knew about the locker room/shower actions that have been so luridly described: there are quotes from him on that part of it. And it sounds like the athletes openly talked/complained about the doctor to one another in the locker room. The doctor was also described as being one of the men who would regularly shower with athletes and, according to reports, ogle them.

Jordan was a 20-something assistant coach when he was there. Hellickson was the older person actually in charge. So this might just be some CYA on his part for reputation reasons. (Actually, I was surprised that Jordan didn't throw Hellickson under the bus himself.)

[FakeNoose]

17. Exactly this! When the story broke I said "Get Hellickson on the record"

Did any of the wrestlers come to him with complaints? If not, why didn't they? Short answer: I'm sure they did and we need to know if Hellickson did anything about it. Did the coaches all get together to discuss it and decide not to report the abuse?

Why aren't the reporters pinning this guy down? This is how Joe Paterno acted for so many years, while Jerry Sandusky kept abusing kids one after the other. (Sandusky's victims were younger though.)

[keithbvadu2]

11. Joe Paterno also had, has supporters.

Joe Paterno also had, has supporters.

[Scurrilous]

12. K&R

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. Key line from excerpt: "ex-coach was under pressure from Jordan". Behavior of an innocent man?

[Achilleaze]

20. "Please lie for us." - republicans

"We do it all the time. It's cool. No one cares, because we are republicans. Heh heh." - republicans