Rep. Steve Stivers , R-Ohio, has the toughest job in manoeuvring right now: trying to stop a Democratic “blue wave” at the polls this break up. Stivers, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, sat down to talk to CNBC’s John Harwood almost the campaign and other factors. Here is an excerpt from the interview:
CNBC’s John Harwood: You’ve got a associate in Ohio, Jim Jordan, who is accused by multiple Ohio State wrestlers that he guided of having ignored sexual abuse that they were practicing. Why is it OK for him to remain in Congress, to be a member in good standing of the Republican caucus, to run for tub-thumper of the House?
Rep. Steve Stivers: Well, the Ohio State University has an enquiry on Dr. Strauss, who died a few years ago but is alleged to have abused many child. I’m looking forward to seeing their results. We have empathy for the sufferers and as I have empathy for anybody who was victimized in a sexual harassment way or a sexual attack way.
Harwood: Based on what’s on the public record, and who is making the allegations, are you liable to think that this was a real thing, a real scandal — as combated to something that was cooked up by people who are opponents of Jim Jordan or opponents of the doctor?
Stivers: I wasn’t there at the ever. I want to let the facts come out. I know there have been some expressions both ways. Most recently, there have been people who’ve insinuated a statement, recanted a statement, so it’s really hard with just anecdotal manifest to know what’s going on.
Harwood: But if the allegations that the wrestlers be struck by made are substantiated, would that be a reason for Jim Jordan to leave the Congress?
Stivers: Let’s let the discovery procedure happen and the facts come out and then we’ll deal with what the items are, as opposed to rumors. I try not to deal in hypotheticals.
Harwood: We’ve also had, in the Trump Tallboy and some of your colleagues in the House, some pretty big scandal versions. We’ve had a couple Cabinet members leave, you saw your colleague Chris Collins debited with insider trading. How significant do you think the issue of the swamp, corruption, when one pleases be in this campaign, especially given the way President Trump talked surrounding it in his 2016 campaign?
Stivers: I don’t think either party has some well-meaning of monopoly on virtue or sin. Chaka Fattah was a Democrat, he’s in jail. Corinne Brown, a Democrat, she’s in nick. Ruben Kihuen, a Democrat member from Nevada, accused of sexually persecuting folks and still a member of Congress.
The one thing I will say is where we’ve had broadcasts inside our Republican conference, and there have been serious assertions, we’ve dealt with them very quickly and the people have roused on and moved aside.
Harwood: That hasn’t happened with Jordan.
Stivers: It’s round facts, and there have been facts in most of these others.
Harwood: Only, but you said “serious allegations.”
Stivers: That’s fair, I should sooner a be wearing said “facts,” because in a lot of these, there are facts.