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ICYMI: Brent Larkin: Ramaswamy Campaign Ad Is “A Lie”

COLUMBUS, OH – Yesterday, Brent Larkin addressed the Ramaswamy campaign’s latest smear, in which they falsely claimed in an ad that Dr. Acton was responsible for delaying the 2020 primary election. 

READ: Turning facts into lies? Welcome to Campaign 2026 in Ohio: Brent Larkin

  • As proven during his failed run for president in 2024, voters don’t much like Ramaswamy. He comes across as smart, but arrogant.
  • Trump’s declining popularity, skyrocketing fuel and grocery prices, and Ramaswamy’s unlikability explain why a concerned Ramaswamy campaign has already spent $10 million in television ads. Notably, the ads do not feature Ramaswamy talking to the camera.
  • This election is close. If it stays that way, if Ramaswamy’s attempt to buy the election with his own money doesn’t work, then his truth-shattering will accelerate. In one of its most recent television spots, the Ramaswamy campaign says Acton “called off” the 2020 primary election because of COVID-19.
  • …Again, on numerous occasions, and both before and after Ramaswamy began airing his attack ad on Acton, DeWine has said he gave the order for Acton to postpone the March 17 election.
  • If Ramaswamy is willing to obliterate (MAGA’s favorite verb) the truth about how and why all this happened during the most serious public health crisis in more than 100 years, maybe he shouldn’t be trusted to run this state.

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GOP Secretary of State Candidates Vow to Eliminate Drop Boxes, Going Against Local Election Officials

COLUMBUS, OH – While local election officials are making clear the importance of drop boxes in ensuring that Ohioans are able to cast their ballot in Ohio’s safe and secure elections, Republican candidates for Secretary of State are doubling down on their vow to eliminate drop boxes and make it even harder to vote. Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague even released a new ad vowing to “ditch the drop boxes” that so many Ohioans rely on to vote.

“Drop boxes are a safe and secure part of Ohio’s elections and they’re a critical way for Ohioans to be able to drop off their ballot and exercise their right to vote,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde. “Ohioans deserve a Secretary of State who will ensure that in Ohio’s elections, every eligible voter is able to cast their ballot free from barriers – not partisan politicians like the Republican candidates for Secretary of State who spread election conspiracies, tout repeatedly disproven misinformation, and are willing to go against the recommendations of local election officials to disenfranchise voters.”

This follows Republican candidates for Secretary of State recently trumpeting false claims of widespread voter fraud and refusing to admit the results of the 2020 presidential election.

While Republican candidates for Secretary of State vow to eliminate drop boxes, read more from Cleveland.com about what local election officials are saying about the importance of drop boxes:

  • “I know (the drop box) works out for some people who work during the day. If they need to come when our office is closed, they have the ability to drive right up and insert it into the drop box.” –Dante Lewis, director of the Lake County Board of Elections.
  • “I’m a big advocate for drop boxes. I think we should have more drop boxes than less.” –Tony Perlatti, Director, Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

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REMINDER: Jon Husted Remains at Center of Largest Bribery Scandal in Ohio History

U.S. Supreme Court upholds the conviction of top Jon Husted ally

COLUMBUS, OHIO — Today, the United States Supreme Court upheld the conviction of one of Jon Husted’s top allies in the FirstEnergy corruption scheme — the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history — proving this political headache isn’t going away for Husted anytime soon.

As a reminder, Jon Husted remains at the center of the massive scandal, with new reporting from the Associated Press revealing Husted’s ties to be much deeper than previously known. Previous reporting has already uncovered phone calls, text messages, and secret meetings between Husted and the indicted FirstEnergy executives, and Husted was forced to testify for the defense in a state criminal trial. 

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

“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court is another reminder that Jon Husted remains at the center of the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history, and it’s costing Ohioans thousands of dollars more on their utility bills. As more details come to light about Jon Husted’s deep ties to the corruption scheme, Ohioans deserve accountability and answers about how deep his involvement goes.” 

READ MORE: 

Associated Press: Republicans plan big spending to keep Ohio’s Senate seat. A bribery scandal adds to their challenges

  • As he seeks to retain his U.S. Senate seat this fall, Ohio Republican Jon Husted has been unable to escape the shadow of a $60 million bribery scandal that has roiled state politics for more than five years.
  • Husted was recently called to testify as a defense witness in the related criminal trial of two former energy executives, testimony he might have to reprise after a hung jury led to a mistrial in the case in March. 
  • A judge in Akron scheduled the retrial to begin Sept. 28, meaning Husted could be back on the witness stand a week before early voting begins for the November elections.
  • Husted calendars that came to light during the recent trial involving executives for the utility, Akron-based FirstEnergy, showed a number of additional meetings or phone calls that he had with former CEO Chuck Jones, with the state’s former top utility regulator, who has since died, and with then-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.
  • The interactions noted in Husted’s calendars were around the time the bailout bill was being developed and passed. Evidence presented in various cases showed Jones and Dowling discussing a push by Husted for additional subsidies in the legislation.
  • A longtime Ohio lobbyist told federal agents that FirstEnergy and FirstEnergy Solutions, the subsidiary that owned the nuclear power plants helped by the bailout, funneled dark money to nonprofits that benefited Husted and Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican.
  • According to the notes from his Department of Justice interview obtained by The Associated Press and not previously reported, lobbyist Neil Clark identified one of the groups as Freedom Frontier. That was the very group that received a $1 million contribution in 2017 marked internally by FirstEnergy as “Husted campaign.”
  • Internal FirstEnergy communications from 2017 and 2018, which is evidence in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation, include discussions involving Jones, Dowling and others about attending Husted events as far back as 2016. They also reflect Dowling’s concerns about dark money contributions becoming public.
  • Jones and Dowling also discussed strategies to contribute under alternate names. In July 2018, for instance, as the two were planning a DeWine-Husted fundraiser in Naples, Florida, they discussed contributing under one name while covering event costs under another — so there would be “no cost billed to (the) campaign.”
  • Husted declined a request for further comment about the details that have emerged as the various cases surrounding the bribery scandal play out.

As a reminder, Jon Husted played a central role “running the show” in the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history alongside Dowling and Jones:

  • New evidence during the trial revealed nine calls between Jon Husted and Mike Dowling in the months preceding a $4.3 million bribe to former Utilities Commission Chair Sam Randazzo. 
  • New reporting revealed Jon Husted held secret meetings with Dowling and Jones, including with the “mastermind of Ohio’s largest public corruption scheme two days before scandal-ridden bribery legislation was introduced.”
  • Neil Clark, a FirstEnergy lobbyist and co-defendant with former House Speaker Larry Householder, referred to Husted as FirstEnergy’s “golden boy.”
  • Text messages between Husted, Dowling, and Jones reveal that the trio were in constant communication “before, during and after his campaign.” 
  • A dinner between Jon Husted and the indicted FirstEnergy executives at the Athletic Club of Columbus was a focal point of the criminal trial.
  • Public records show that FirstEnergy — led by Jones and Dowling — funneled $1 million in dark money to a dark money group backing Husted in 2017, part of the same corrupt scheme that led to federal and state indictments.

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VOTE ALERT: Jon Husted Opposes Bipartisan Push to Lower Grocery, Utility, and Health Care Bills for Ohio Families

Costs keep rising because of the Husted-backed war in Iran, but Husted says it’s ‘good news for the global economy’

COLUMBUS, OHIO — This week, Jon Husted voted against multiple bipartisan proposals that would have lowered the skyrocketing cost of groceries, health care, and utility bills for Ohio families. Husted also voted against a bipartisan proposal to protect families from rising prices driven by reckless tariffs and another endless war in the Middle East.

Ohio families are already getting crushed with skyrocketing gas, utility, grocery, and health care costs. Instead of doing anything to lower costs, Husted keeps insulting 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:

“Ohioans are sick and tired of Jon Husted voting to make their lives more expensive. Instead of fighting to lower costs for families at home, Husted keeps supporting to send more money overseas while lecturing Ohioans to work harder. Jon Husted couldn’t be more out of touch with what families in this state are going through, and they will send him packing in November.” 

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Keith Faber Refuses to Donate Wexner Money, Despite Promising to do so

COLUMBUS, OH – Keith Faber, current Ohio Auditor and Republican candidate for Attorney General broke his promise to Ohioans, refusing to part with thousands of dollars he received from Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator and Columbus billionaire Les Wexner. This comes after Faber’s campaign pledged months ago to donate the money to various charities – a pledge Faber clearly hoped no one would realize that he broke.

“Keith Faber clearly can’t be trusted to be Ohio’s Attorney General – he’s already breaking promises to Ohioans and refusing to part with money from a co-conspirator of Jeffrey Epstein,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. “Ohioans know that if Faber can’t even keep his word to donate campaign contributions from a billionaire embroiled in the heinous actions of a sexual predator, he certainly isn’t up to the task of being the chief legal officer in the state responsible for protecting Ohioans and standing up to big corporations and special interests.”

Reminder: Faber is running to become Ohio’s Attorney General, the chief legal officer in the Buckeye State tasked with standing up to the powerful and well-connected to root out corruption in our state and put more of Ohioans’ hard-earned dollars back into their pockets.

READ MORE: Ohio AG hopeful Keith Faber stiffed charities on Wexner pledge

Ohio Auditor Keith Faber’s campaign donated $12,500 to charity from political contributions it received from Columbus billionaire Les Wexner — $2,500 less than the $15,000 the campaign publicly pledged in late February, according to a pre-primary finance report filed with the Ohio Secretary of State.

The report, filed by Friends of Faber and covering activity through April 19, lists four charitable contributions made on March 18: $5,000 to the State FOP Charitable Fund, $2,500 to the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, $2,500 to Akron-based Hope & Healing Survivor Resource Center, and $2,500 to Freedom a la Cart, a downtown Columbus nonprofit that trains survivors of human trafficking for workforce re-entry. The four gifts total $12,500.

In a Feb. 25 Dayton Daily News report, Faber campaign spokesperson Matt Dole said the attorney general hopeful had donated $15,000 “to law enforcement and victim rights charities” from Wexner’s contributions. Previously reported Wexner donations to Faber include $10,000 in 2025 and $5,000 in 2022. The pre-primary finance report does not itemize any separate charitable contribution that would close the $2,500 gap.

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