Uncategorized

Columbus, Ohio- New reporting from Politico’s Influence newsletter revealed that Vivek Ramaswamy’s company spent more than $70,000 lobbying the federal government for the development and approval of COVID-19 drugs. Federal lobbying records show Ramaswamy’s company spent approximately $50,000 lobbying the National Institutes of Health and the Executive Office of the President as well as approximately $20,000 lobbying Congress.

This new reporting from Politico follows bombshell reporting from the Associated Press that revealed Ramaswamy pushed for a national COVID-19 registry to segregate Americans based on immunity status. Ramaswamy’s company profited over $2.2 billion from the COVID-19 vaccine. He served on Ohio’s COVID-19 response team, then paid a Wikipedia editor to scrub his involvement. 

“Scam artist Vivek Ramaswamy has given Ohioans yet another reason to not believe a word he says,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “His extreme proposal to ‘segregate’ Americans based on immunity status, his billions in profit from the COVID-19 vaccine, and now his massive investment in lobbying the federal government are all more proof that the only person Vivek Ramaswamy is looking out for is Vivek Ramaswamy.”

READ: FIRST IN PI — RAMASWAMY’S COVID LOBBYING:

• A biotech company founded by Vivek Ramaswamy spent more than $70,000 in 2020 and 2021 to lobby the federal government for the development and approval of COVID-19 drugs, Jacob reports.

• Acton’s campaign says Ramaswamy’s rhetoric contradicts his actions as a biotech executive at the time. Democrats have also criticized another one of Ramaswamy’s companies that pushed for a national COVID registry that would have segregated Americans based on COVID-19 vaccine status during the pandemic. Ramaswamy also reportedly paid to have his role on the state’s COVID response team scrubbed from his Wikipedia page.

• Ramaswamy’s campaign and Roivant didn’t respond to requests for comment.

###

COLUMBUS, OHIO — New reporting out today shows that Jon Husted’s senior advisor and general counsel has “maintained a paid consulting relationship” with an Ohio lobbying firm — receiving $22,652 in income in addition to his federal salary.

Previous reporting revealed that the same senior advisor in Husted’s office worked as an opioid and utilities lobbyist whose clients “made millions” off the FirstEnergy corruption scandal, which resulted in a billion dollar bailout for utilities that’s contributing to families paying thousands of dollars more on their energy bills.

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

“We’ve always known Jon Husted was corrupt, but he’s not even trying to hide it anymore — his senior advisor is currently working as a consultant for a lobbying firm who helped pass the corrupt FirstEnergy bailout for utilities that’s contributing to families paying thousands of dollars more on their energy bills. Ohioans deserve better, and they will vote Jon Husted out in November.”

READ MORE: 

NOTUS: Top Jon Husted Senate Aide Kept Working for Ohio Lobbying Firm

• A top aide to Republican Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio maintained a paid consulting relationship with an Ohio lobbying firm while serving as the senator’s senior adviser, according to a federal financial disclosure filing.

• Sean Dunn, who has served as Husted’s senior adviser and counsel since February 2025, disclosed working as a consultant for Statehouse Impact Group — a Columbus-based government relations and lobbying firm.

• The disclosure — part of Dunn’s certified personal financial report covering calendar year 2025 and submitted to Congress on May 14 — shows Dunn received $22,652 from the firm while he also worked in Husted’s office.

• Husted’s office did not respond to questions about the nature of Dunn’s work with Statehouse Impact Group.

• Anne Griffin of Columbus, Ohio, filed a formal complaint on May 29 with the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics, asking for it to investigate both Dunn and Husted, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by NOTUS.

• The complaint also implicates Husted directly, arguing that the senator bore primary responsibility under Senate rules to prevent conflicts of interest among his staff and appears to have failed in that duty. 

• The complaint asks the committee to investigate both whether Dunn received improper compensation and whether Husted was aware of the arrangement and failed to act.

###

COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde issued the following statement on Ohio Republicans’ rushed and harmful legislation that will disenfranchise eligible Ohio voters:

“While Ohio’s elections are safe and secure, let’s be clear what this push is really about: a partisan power grab by Republican politicians who are so desperate to cling to power that they are willing to make it harder for eligible voters to exercise their fundamental right to vote. Ohio’s elections are free from widespread fraud, with Republican leaders themselves praising them as the ‘gold standard.’

“Ohio Democrats are committed to safeguarding Ohio’s elections while ensuring every eligible Ohioan can cast a ballot free from unnecessary barriers. Instead of wasting time on legislation aimed at solving a problem that does not exist, Ohio Republicans should focus on lowering costs and addressing the real challenges facing Ohio families.”

###

REPORTING: Inflation hits 4.2% in May, highest in over 3 years as energy prices soar

COLUMBUS, OHIO — New data today shows that the Jon Husted-backed war in Iran has sent inflation surging to the highest level in years, with CNBC reporting that “rising energy costs [have] contributed to pain for consumers.”

Despite the pain that Ohioans are feeling, Jon Husted has dismissed their concerns: 

• Jon Husted has voted eight times to continue the war in Iran while costs continue to skyrocket.

• Jon Husted has claimed that he thinks the war is “good news for the global economy” and going “much better than anyone thought it would.”

• When a truck driver asked about soaring diesel costs, Husted brushed him off and responded by asking if he was comfortable with Iran being a nuclear power. 

• When asked what he was doing to address rising costs for his constituents, Husted responded: “What do you want me to do?” 

• When asked about the pain that Ohio families are feeling at the pump, Jon Husted’s campaign “declined to comment.”

• Jon Husted continues to insult struggling Ohioans as “not very experienced at navigating the real world” and consistently dismisses the mounting affordability crisis by telling Ohioans to fix their “work ethic” and to simply “earn more” money to make ends meet.

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

“Thanks to Jon Husted, inflation has soared to the highest levels in years and Ohioans are getting crushed by rising energy and food prices. Instead of fighting to lower costs for Ohio families, all Jon Husted cares about is sending more money for war overseas while lecturing hardworking Ohioans to work harder and earn more money.”

###

COLUMBUS, OH – With Donald Trump’s disastrous economic policies – like the tariffs that are raising the price of goods, the reckless war with Iran that is raising gas prices, and the healthcare cuts that are ripping care away from Ohio families and putting hospitals at risk – new polling could indicate that “his political problems had metastasized and spread to infect Republican candidates on the November ballot in swing states and districts.” As the Cook Political Report emphasizes, this new Fox News poll “is the first to make clear that, with his many controversial moves, Trump may have politically ‘jumped the shark.’”

“While Donald Trump campaigned on the promise to lower costs ‘on day one,’ his devastating economic policies like his tariffs, reckless war with Iran, and healthcare cuts are doing the opposite – and Ohio Republicans up and down the ballot are now left to own the ways that these policies are raising costs and devastating Ohio families of all political backgrounds,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. “As Ohio Republicans are on defense doing backflips to try to justify their party’s extreme and unpopular economic agenda, Ohio Democrats will continue to connect with Ohioans of all political backgrounds to share their winning message to lower costs and get our state back on track in November.”

Read more from the Cook Political Report about how this new polling suggests “far greater danger for Republicans in November than was previously evident.”

Cook Political Report: Ohio Poll Could Portend Trouble for Republicans

• A Fox News poll of 1,015 registered voters in Ohio, released on Thursday, could well be the canary in the midterm coal mine, suggesting far greater danger for Republicans in November than was previously evident. The analysis by Dana Blanton, who heads the Fox polling unit, as well as the poll’s topline results and crosstabs, are all worth reading. When reading the numbers that follow, you should know that unreleased, private, high-quality polls conducted for both sides show similar results; this poll is not an outlier. And while Fox News has its fans and detractors, its polling is first-rate.
• In the U.S. Senate and gubernatorial race matchups, the Fox News survey showed Democrats more unified behind their nominees, but importantly, running much stronger among independents. Democratic voters also placed greater emphasis on their party winning a Senate majority than Republicans did, usually a sign of a likely turnout disparity. Favorability ratings, not just for the Republican Senate and gubernatorial nominees, but for term-limited GOP Gov. Mike DeWine, Trump, and native son Vice President J.D. Vance, were lower than one might have expected, more evidence of problems for Republicans. Underwhelming numbers for Republicans in Ohio suggest that other GOP-leaning states could face similar problems.
• The poll showed former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown leading Sen. Jon Husted by 8 points, 53 to 45 percent. Brown was first elected to the Senate in 2006, President George W. Bush’s second-term midterm election, a tough year for the GOP. He was reelected in 2012 and 2018 before losing his bid for a third term in 2024 to Bernie Moreno, a wealthy automobile dealer.
• In the Fox poll, Brown led Husted among fellow Democrats, 98 percent to 2 percent. Husted led among Republicans, 86 to 13 percent, with independents giving Brown an 18-point lead, 53 to 35 percent.
• The gubernatorial race is effectively tied. Amy Acton, who ran the state Department of Health during the COVID pandemic and is now the Democratic nominee, ran ahead of technology entrepreneur and 2024 GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy by 1 point, 50 to 49 percent. Acton prevails among Democrats, 93 to 7 percent, while Ramaswamy wins among Republicans, 89 to 10 percent. Independents give Acton an 8-point edge, 51 to 43 percent.
• The favorability ratings are instructive. In the Fox News 2024 Election Voter Analysis poll (what we used to call exit polls) in Ohio, Trump was at 52 percent favorable and 46 percent unfavorable for a net + 6; in this new survey, he is at 42 percent favorable and 57 percent unfavorable, a net -15. In 2024, Vance was at 48 percent favorable and 43 percent unfavorable, for a net +5; now it’s 45 percent favorable and 52 percent unfavorable, for a net -7. DeWine won reelection in 2022 with 62 percent of the vote and in 2024 was at 53 percent favorable and 41 percent unfavorable, for a net +12; now it’s dead even at 48-48. Husted is at 41 percent favorable and 50 percent unfavorable, for a net -9.
• While Trump’s national numbers have been bad for some time, until now there haven’t been many indications that his political problems had metastasized and spread to infect Republican candidates on the November ballot in swing states and districts. The recipe for midterm disaster has long been diminished enthusiasm among those in a president’s party, a hyper-energized opposition-party base, and true independents moving disproportionately against candidates of the incumbent’s party. This Fox poll is the first to make clear that, with his many controversial moves, Trump may have politically “jumped the shark.”
• While Trump’s problems will simply knock a few points off of the victory margins for most Republicans in ruby-red, solidly Republican states and districts, they threaten to put those GOP candidates with constituencies closer to the edge into untenable positions.

###