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“Could Not Be Reached,” “Would Not Comment,” “Did Not Respond:” Ohio Republicans In Hiding

COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio Republican candidates up and down the ballot don’t only have in common their support for deeply unpopular economic policies, they also have in common their commitment to dodging questions on the issues most important to Ohio families. Whether it’s facing scrutiny for past support of the data centers that are causing Ohioans’ energy bills to skyrocket, championing Republicans’ budget bill that ripped healthcare and food assistance from Ohio families, or voting repeatedly for Trump and Washington Republicans’ reckless war with Iran, Ohio Republicans seem to only have one answer to their predicament: no comment.

“Ohio Republicans’ agenda is raising prices for Ohio families and ripping away Ohioans’ healthcare – and it’s so unpopular that Republicans aren’t even trying to answer for it anymore,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. “While Ohio Republicans continue dodging questions left and right, the choice for Ohioans at the ballot box is already clear and they can’t avoid the message that Ohioans are going to send in November when they elect Ohio Democrats up and down the ballot.”

While Ohio Democrats are running to bring transparency and accountability to government, read more about how Ohio Republicans are seemingly in hiding, refusing to answer questions on their harmful economic agenda: 

  • Tiffin Ohio: Ohio secretary of state sets sights on state auditor’s office
    In announcing his campaign for state auditor, LaRose said that he plans to bring the same “focus on transparency, efficiency, and accountability” he says he has as Secretary of State to the auditor’s office. The Ohio Capital Journal made multiple requests for an interview with the Republican former state senator and current secretary of state. Requests made both through his campaign website and directly to a campaign communications representative went unanswered.
  • WVXU: Analysis: House Bill 6 bribery case is driving this year’s Ohio AG race
    Kulewicz said the millions of Ohio ratepayers who were harmed by picking up the tab for what he called an illegal scheme, deserve an answer in a court of law. The Republican candidate for Ohio AG is Keith Faber, currently the state auditor and a former state representative from Celina. Faber has a much different view of this. We couldn’t reach him for comment, but he has been quoted by numerous news organizations as saying that he would want to consult with the current staff of the AG’s office before deciding whether to move forward with the case.
  • Ohio Capital Journal: Challenger to incumbent Ohio Supreme Court justice touts ‘originalism,’ strict immigration rulings
    The Capital Journal reached out to the O’Donnell campaign multiple times requesting a post-primary interview, but the campaign refused. A spokesperson for the O’Donnell campaign referred to comments made in a previous interview O’Donnell did with the Capital Journal prior to the May primary, but follow-up requests with specific questions did not receive a response.
  • Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio Republican attorney general candidate appears to advocate ending parts of Medicaid
    In two recent media appearances, Ohio Auditor Keith Faber made statements that sounded supportive of ending at least some parts of Ohio Medicaid. Faber’s campaign did not clarify his comments when asked about them, only saying that Faber supports the lawful use of Medicaid dollars and doesn’t support the unlawful use of them.
  • Dayton Daily News: Dayton residents decry Medicaid, SNAP cuts
    The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Donald Trump last year, is estimated to cut $1 trillion over the next decade from the Medicaid program, and billions from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Turner was among Ohio’s federal lawmakers who voted in favor of the federal spending package. Turner’s Office did not immediately return a request for comment about the cuts.
  • WKYC: Dark Money Game documentary drops as FirstEnergy bribery scandal continues
    Edwards would not comment on this conversation, and also would not answer my question as to whether he ever received any benefit from money in the Generation Now account. 
  • Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio’s 9th Congressional district race: The candidates’ records on data centers
    Merrin, who served four terms as an Ohio state representative for the Toledo district from 2016 to 2024, did not respond to the Ohio Capital Journal’s questions for this story.
  • WVXU: Analysis: Fact-checking Robert Sprague’s TV ad on ballot drop boxes
    Sprague’s campaign did not respond to a request for an interview with the candidate.
  • Cleveland.com: GOP congressional candidate Carey Coleman files financial disclosure after missing deadline
    Republican congressional candidate Carey Coleman filed a personal financial disclosure this week after cleveland.com reported he had missed the legal deadline to do so and the Summit County Democratic Party asked the Justice Department to investigate him for the lapse…Coleman’s campaign declined to comment on the filing.

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BREAKING: Vivek Ramaswamy’s Former Bodyguard Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking Charges

Columbus, Ohio-Today, Vivek Ramaswamy’s former bodyguard and his wife pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges. 

“Vivek Ramaswamy owes Ohioans answers. While he’s pushing a property tax scam that would defund the police and fire departments on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic across the state, his own bodyguard just pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “How can we trust Ramaswamy to protect Ohio families?”

READ: Former bodyguard for Vivek Ramaswamy, wife, plead guilty to federal drug trafficking charges

  • A former bodyguard for Ohio Republican candidate for governor Vivek Ramaswamy has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges.
  • The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Justin Salsburey, 44, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Columbus to participating in a narcotics conspiracy involving bulk amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the mail. Salsburey’s wife, 39-year-old Ruthann Rankin, pleaded guilty to drug charges last week.
  • The couple each pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine and at least 40 grams of fentanyl. The crime carries a possible sentence of at least 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
  • Justin Salsburey worked for Ark Protection Group, which led Ramaswamy’s security detail.

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Five Questions Vivek Ramaswamy Must Answer After Reporting Exposed Likely “Pump and Dump” Scam

Columbus, Ohio- Yesterday, reporting from Oligarch Watch exposed how Vivek Ramaswamy hired his mother to “manipulate” failed clinical trial data as part of a likely “pump and dump” scheme. 

Ramaswamy served as the “frontman” for a “dubious pharmaceutical company” and then “cashed out weeks before its dramatic crash.” He hired his own mother to manipulate the data and make an Alzheimer’s drug look promising despite a lack of clinical experience.

This new reporting raises serious questions that Vivek Ramaswamy must answer.

  1. Why did you promote a drug that repeatedly failed clinical trials?
  1. Why did you hire your mother to oversee clinical trial data manipulation when she had no prior experience as a clinical researcher?
  1. Will you apologize to people suffering from Alzheimer’s and their families?
  1. If you can’t even stop yourself from cheating your own investors, why should working families trust you won’t cheat them too?
  1. How can you expect Ohioans to vote for you knowing you’re a scam artist who was deeply involved in an apparent “pump and dump” scheme?

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WVXU: “Faber and Kulewicz are about as far apart on FirstEnergy as two candidates can possibly be”

COLUMBUS, OH – Ohioans continue to hear about how the FirstEnergy bribery scandal is “driving this year’s Ohio AG race” with analysis from WVXU emphasizing that “[Keith] Faber and [John] Kulewicz are about as far apart on FirstEnergy as two candidates can possibly be.” While “most Ohio politicians — not to mention millions of electric rate payers — would like to see one of the most embarrassing and costly episodes in the state’s 223-year history put to rest once and for all,” only Democratic candidate for Attorney General John Kulewicz has committed to continuing the FirstEnergy trial. Republican candidate for Attorney General Keith Faber, on the other hand, has been slammed as “tone deaf” for his “unconscionable” refusal to commit to continuing the case – and now he conveniently couldn’t be reached for comment.

“The contrast couldn’t be more clear – while Keith Faber has shown that he isn’t willing to commit to taking on the corruption that is raising Ohioans’ costs, John Kulewicz will hold bad actors accountable for ripping off Ohioans and raising costs for families,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. “With the next Attorney General overseeing the case in the largest public corruption scandal in state history, Ohioans know the stakes couldn’t be higher to elect John Kulewicz in November and put an end to Republicans’ culture of corruption in Columbus.”

Despite Keith Faber’s refusal to commit to continuing the case in the FirstEnergy bribery scheme that has contributed to electricity costs increasing by $663 a year, read more about how John Kulewicz is making clear that “the millions of Ohio ratepayers who were harmed by picking up the tab for what he called an illegal scheme, deserve an answer in a court of law:”

WVXU: Analysis: House Bill 6 bribery case is driving this year’s Ohio AG race

  • It was the largest bribery scandal in Ohio political history; most Ohio politicians — not to mention millions of electric rate payers — would like to see one of the most embarrassing and costly episodes in the state’s 223-year history put to rest once and for all.
  • Now, with a new attorney general to be chosen by Ohio voters in November, it’s an open question whether that trial will go forward or be dismissed and go away without resolution.
  • Regardless of whether the case goes to trial in January, the FirstEnergy scandal will be the central issue in the November election of a new Ohio Attorney General.
  • The Democratic candidate for AG is John J. Kulewicz, a former prosecutor from Franklin County. He told WVXU earlier this week that if he’s elected in November, he will sign on to a January trial.
  • Kulewicz said the millions of Ohio ratepayers who were harmed by picking up the tab for what he called an illegal scheme, deserve an answer in a court of law.
  • The Republican candidate for Ohio AG is Keith Faber, currently the state auditor and a former state representative from Celina.
  • Faber has a much different view of this.
  • We couldn’t reach him for comment, but he has been quoted by numerous news organizations as saying that he would want to consult with the current staff of the AG’s office before deciding whether to move forward with the case.
  • Faber and Kulewicz are about as far apart on FirstEnergy as two candidates can possibly be.

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NEW REPORT Exposes Ramaswamy “Pump and Dump” Scam: Billionaire Scam Artist Hired His Mother to Manipulate Failed Clinical Trial Data for Alzheimer’s Drug

Ramaswamy served as “frontman,” hired own mother to “massage data” to make“an estimated $260 million”

Columbus, Ohio — New reporting exposed how Vivek Ramaswamy hired his mother to “massage” failed clinical trial data as part of a likely pump-and-dump scheme.

As the investigation reveals, Ramaswamy served as “the frontman” for a “dubious pharmaceutical company” and “cashed out weeks before its dramatic crash.” He hired his own mother to manipulate data from failed clinical trials to make the drug look promising, despite her lack of clinical trial experience. Ramaswamy used his own mother’s analysis to scam his way into hundreds of millions of dollars.

“Vivek Ramaswamy’s multi-million dollar ‘pump and dump’ scam makes clear he will do anything to line his pockets, including hiring his own mother to manipulate clinical trial data for an Alzheimer’s drug that clearly didn’t work,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Whether it’s Alzheimer’s patients or hardworking Ohioans, Vivek Ramaswamy can’t be trusted to fight for them because he only cares about himself.”

READ MORE: How Vivek Ramaswamy’s mom manipulated Alzheimer’s data and made her son rich

  • Vivek Ramaswamy, a billionaire and the Republican nominee in Ohio’s gubernatorial race, served as the frontman for a dubious pharmaceutical company and then cashed out weeks before its dramatic crash.
  • In 2014, Ramaswamy founded Axovant, a company he used to buy the rights to an inauspicious Alzheimer’s drug that had repeatedly failed in clinical trials. Axovant then hired Ramaswamy’s mother, who, despite lacking relevant research experience, helped massage data from old clinical trials to make the drug appear more promising. The extent of the elder Ramaswamy’s role has not been previously reported.
  • In 2015, touting his mother’s reinterpretation of the data to potential investors and regulators, Ramaswamy led Axovant to a $1.4 billion initial public offering, the largest in biotech history at the time. He spent the ensuing two years promoting the drug intepirdine as a possible breakthrough for the millions of Americans who have Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Ramaswamy used his mother’s dubious math to help raise $315 million during Axovant’s $1.4 billion IPO, figures the company reached on no revenue.
  • Since winning the Republican nomination in the Ohio gubernatorial race, Ramaswamy has shied away from discussing his time in biotech, choosing instead to cast his business success story in more vague terms, noted David Niven, a political scientist at the University of Cincinnati.
  • The basic reality of how Ramaswamy ran Axovant, Niven added, “was heads I win and tails I also win, in terms of the outcomes of the trials or whether the drugs actually proved useful or not.” 

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