Seems very clear that Jim Jordan pressured his his ex-boss, former head wrestling coach Russ Hellickson to get his accusers to recant. This is hardly surprising since Jordan is orchestrating a far-ranging cover up of his lies and role in the original case. He even has a website attacking his accusers and a full time conservative PR firm helping him manage the cover up. One of the accusers says Hellickson told him, “I will defend Jimmy until I have to put my hand on a Bible and be asked to tell the truth, then Jimmy will be on his own.”
The irony is that I’m pretty sure Jordan could have put this whole scandal behind him if he would have admitted what Hellickson has, that he knew about what was happening and didn’t do enough to stop it, that he’s sorry he didn’t do more, etc.
But he lied from the git-go and has put people like Hellickson among others in an impossible position. Hellickson is clearly deeply devoted to and loyal to Jordan, which is hardly surprising. He has talked about examples of things he saw, how it was blatant and widely known while also defending Jordan’s increasingly implausible denials.
The relevant political point is that the entire GOP caucus has lined up behind Jordan’s lies (sub req) and, more important than his lies, the fact that he’s viciously attacked the victims to sustain those nonsensical lies.
