North Carolina congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout is holding a campaign rally with U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican. Now, House Democrats are questioning why she continues to turn to help from people involved in sex abuse scandals.
Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and talk show host Henry Hinton, are listed as special guests at a Buckhout campaign rally on May 27 at The Beaufort Hotel. The event comes months after Buckhout won the Republican nomination in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis.
But Democrats say inviting Jordan isn’t a move that should garner respect among voters. Jordan has faced questions for years about what he knew about a sex abuse scandal during his tenure as assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University.
Questions gained new steam last year after the release of an HBO documentary on abuse of athletes by Dr. Richard Strauss, with several student athletes saying Jordan knew the assaults were happening. Jordan has maintained he did not know about the abuse.
“The only thing that matters to Laurie Buckhout is who can help her political ambitions – even if that means standing shoulder to shoulder with child sexual predators and their protectors,” said Madison Andrus, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The upcoming rally comes after Buckhout already came under fire for a past association with Harvey West. She attended a candidate forum hosted by West in 2023 and praised him for his “never-ending generosity” afterward, but Meidas Touch News later reported West was convicted in 2000 on five counts of indecent liberties with a child.
“After praising convicted sex offender Harvey West, Laurie now wants to be best friends with Jim Jordan,” Andrus said. “It doesn’t matter to Laurie that Jordan stands accused of knowingly covering up the abuse of hundreds of OSU students. Laurie Buckhout keeps the worst company.”
The congressional race is expected to be one of the hottest battleground contests in the country in November.
