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April 22, 2022

Happy Friday, and welcome to “Buckeye Brawl,” a weekly newsletter from the Ohio Democratic Party highlighting the nasty, chaotic and expensive Republican primary for Senate. This out-of-control primary is making conservatives “deeply worried” about the prospects of Republicans losing this seat. 

As the Republican Senate primary continues to sink lower and lower, these GOP candidates are injecting even more nasty personal attacks, more chaos and more money into this race. We’re here to help you keep track of all of it.

‘’Go f**k yourself’: Trump and Don Jr. war with top GOP donor who bought ads opposing his candidate” –Salon headline, 4/22/22

There was a lot of chaos this week, so here’s what you may have missed:

TOTAL WAR. Since Trump’s endorsement, Don Jr. has adopted J.D. Vance’s feuds as his own. At a candidate forum last year, Vance called the pro-Mandel Club For Growth the “Club for Chinese Growth” after the group spent heavily airing Vance’s anti-Trump comments. Now that Trump has endorsed Vance, Trump expected Club for Growth to fall in line. Club for Growth didn’t do any such thing – instead they doubled down on their support for Mandel, and began re-airing the ad Trump asked them to take off the air last year. A spokesperson for the group said they were increasing their buy against Vance. Trump responded, having his assistant text David McIntosh, the president of Club, telling him to “go f**k yourself.” According to a source, Don Jr. then threatened McIntosh, saying he is considering opposing all candidates newly endorsed by the Club for Growth unless they pull the anti-Vance ads and remove McIntosh from the board. It all starts in Ohio, but the nasty infighting here could have nationwide consequences. A Vance ally summed it up nicely: “It’s total war.”

BETRAYAL. The fallout doesn’t stop there, though. Half of the 2016 Trump RNC delegates from Ohio wrote a letter to Trump asking him to reconsider his endorsement of J.D. Vance, warning, “JD Vance has not developed relationships with Republican voters and grassroots leaders that are crucial to win. This endorsement of JD Vance is a betrayal to not only your Ohio supporters but Trump supporters across our great nation!” According to Fox News, the letter is signed by 33 of the total 66 delegates that were designated to represent Trump at the 2016 RNC if he won the Ohio primary. Hard to unite the party when half of your national delegates are jumping ship before the primary! 

RILED UP. The other candidates responded to Trump’s endorsement of Vance – and it has not gone well. Weathervane Jane Timken said, “It has riled up the base. They are not happy. My voters are sticking with me.” Mike Gibbons told NBC News’ Vaughn Hillyard that he thinks Trump made a mistake and that “I don’t think JD is qualified as a conservative.” At a campaign event yesterday with insurrectionist Michael Flynn, Josh Mandel mentioned “never Trumpers” in the Republican Party while avoiding mentioning any of his opponents by name. Then someone in the crowd yelled Vance’s name and Mandel felt compelled to repeat it – attacking J.D. Vance as a Never Trumper. It’s hard to put down the knives when you’ve been using them for so long! 

Thanks for reading along – that’s all for the Buckeye Brawl this week. If you have questions, my email is [email protected]. Have a great weekend! 

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For Immediate Release:
Friday, April 22, 2022
CONTACT: Cameron Keir, [email protected], 614-506-5413

ICYMI: Columbus Dispatch Opinion: “Ohio Republicans Rather You Focus on ‘Kids With 2 Dads’ Than Mountain of Scandals”

“The GOP does not want Ohioans to think about House Bill 6 as they enter the voting booth.”

Columbus, OH — In case you missed it, a Columbus Dispatch opinion column eviscerated Republicans over their attempts to hide corruption behind shameful, hateful legislation ahead of the primary. Ohio activist Kenyon Farrow called out Republican leaders for the introduction of divisive bills meant to distract Ohioans from the ongoing corruption at Mike DeWine’s statehouse. The same corruption that’s costing hard-working Ohioans billions of dollars each year.

“The GOP is selling the most cynical agenda, scapegoating teachers trying to make sure students are academically and socially prepared to live in a world with other people who may in fact be different from themselves, instead of dealing with the mess they’ve left the state after years of supermajorities that they created and are desperate to perpetuate for their own greed and power,” writes Kenyon Farrow.

Read more on how Republicans are attempting to hide the skyrocketing costs of their corruption here and below:

• At this point most people are familiar with House Bill 616, which some have nicknamed Ohio’s “Don’t Say Gay.”
• The bill would ban “any curriculum or instructional materials on sexual orientation or gender identity” and “divisive or inherently racist concepts and any other concept that the state board of education defines as divisive or inherently racist.”
• In addition to being a cheap and cynical political ploy to scapegoat the LGBTQ and Black and brown people who’ve fought for education curricula to represent the full experiences of people in the U.S. and in Ohio, these bills are really a way to keep the total and utter ubiquity of scandals the Republican legislators are facing out of the minds of Ohioans when they go to the polls this year.
• The GOP does not want Ohioans to think about House Bill 6 as they enter the voting booth.
• Passed in 2019, the bill was a $1.3 billion bailout for two nuclear plants and two coal plants—one of which is not even in the state of Ohio—as ostensibly a favor to First Energy, who stood to make $170 million annually as a result (this isn’t counting the $61 million in bribes that were used to push the bill through).
• As of now, five people — former House Speaker Larry Householder of Glenford included — have been arrested.
• Sam Randazzo, who Gov. Mike DeWine’s appointed Ohio Public Utilities Commission chair, was paid $4 million  from FirstEnergy.  Questions still remain as to what point DeWine knew about the alleged bribe being paid.
• Instead of talking about this, we’re spending time talking about whether kids should learn one of their classmates may have two moms or dads.
• But there is much worse.
• In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, as Ohioans were dying by the dozens per day and millions were out of work due to stay at home orders, the lack of legislative approved funding for basic internet security and technology upgrades allowed for scammers to file fraudulent claims, costing the state $3.8 billion, and costing hunger and hardship to everyday Ohioans who were out of work and not able to meet their own basic needs.
• Ohio Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran, who owned stock in United Healthcare gave their Ohio subsidiary (United Healthcare Community Plan of Ohio) the state contract to manage the state’s Medicaid program, even while they’ve been ranked almost dead-last on federal oversight reports and denying the contract of a company that ranked near the top.
• In essence, Corcoran handed $1.2 billion in 2019 alone in funds paid for by Ohioans through taxes to a company ranked low in its transparency and oversight.
• Wait—there’s even more.
• The Ohio Redistricting Commission, which is dominated by five Republicans, refused to sit down and create a transparent and open process for setting new maps to not break communities up and create oddly carved out districts merely to benefit one part or another.
• They would not meet with the two Democrats on the commission and over and over, submitted maps that violated the spirit of the law and gave Ohio voters a big middle finger by creating maps that were heavily partisan.
• The chaos is leading two primary elections instead of one. The mess will cost Ohioans millions.
• These are the issues the Republicans don’t want on the minds of Ohioans when they go vote this year.
• The GOP is selling the most cynical agenda, scapegoating teachers trying to make sure students are academically and socially prepared to live in a world with other people who may in fact be different from themselves, instead of dealing with the mess they’ve left the state after years of supermajorities that they created and are desperate to perpetuate for their own greed and power.

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For Immediate Release:
Friday, April 22, 2022
CONTACT: Cameron Keir, [email protected], 614-506-5413

Here’s What They’re Saying: Statewide Republicans Critical Words against Trump Put Them in Tight Spot as He Visits Ohio

Columbus, OH — With Trump scheduled to hold a rally in Delaware County tomorrow, we’ll see Ohio Republicans stumbling over backward to kiss his ring and pledge their loyalty to the failed blogger from Florida. But Ohio Republicans haven’t always been so eager to praise Trump, which puts them in a tight spot ahead of his visit to Ohio tomorrow.

Facing a Republican electorate that demands loyalty to Trump, could GOP politicians’ words come back to bite them if Trump calls them out? Will these GOP politicians show up tomorrow and show their support for a man they once condemned, showing once again they’ll do or say anything to advance their own interests? How will they justify their past criticisms?

See what Republicans think about Donald Trump in their own words:     

Mike DeWine

DeWine Called Trump’s Hollywood Access Tape “Wrong, Repulsive, And Unacceptable.” “DeWine, a former U.S. senator and a likely candidate for governor in 2018, posted a three-part statement on his Twitter account Saturday that criticized Trump: ‘Donald Trump’s comments are wrong, repulsive, and unacceptable. No one should ever talk about anyone that way.’” [Cleveland.com, 10/11/16]

DeWine Said That Trump’s Refusal To Accept The Result Of The 2020 Election Threatened To Burn Down American Democracy.

“He said that the president’s refusal to accept the result of the Nov. 3 election ‘has started a fire that has threatened to burn down our Democracy.’ ‘The speech that he gave preceding the march, that he gave to the protesters served only to fan those flames, encouraging the mob behavior that ensued,’ DeWine said.” [Ohio Capital Journal, 1/8/21]

Jon Husted

Husted Said He “Can’t Bring [Himself] To Vote” For Trump Or Clinton, Said “Neither Candidate Represents My Values.”

‘At this point I can’t bring myself to vote for either,’ he told Cleveland.com of Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.‘Neither candidate represents my values. [Cincinnati.com, 10/13/16]

Husted Called Trump “Awful.” 

“Husted, who also is considering a 2018 run for governor, said he can’t endorse a candidate as Ohio’s chief elections official. But he briefly shared his thoughts on the election with cleveland.com. ‘Words cannot express how disgusted I am with both candidates,’ Husted said in a Monday interview. ‘That’s honestly how I feel. I think they’re both awful.” [Cleveland.com, 10/11/16]

Frank LaRose 

LaRose Said That He Did Not Support Trump In The 2016 Primary Because He Was Not A Role Model For Children.

‘I like the idea of a president that’s a role model for our children. Our current president doesn’t really fall into that category,’ LaRose told The Enquirer. [Cincinnati Enquirer, 8/13/18]

LaRose Declined To Say Whether He Would Support Trump In 2020, Citing His Position As Secretary Of State.

“I think that as the person that will be running fair elections…I wouldn’t be out campaigning, I wouldn’t be doing that sort of thing.” [Cincinnati Enquirer, 8/13/18]

Dave Yost 

While Trump Was Inching Closer To Claiming The Republican Nomination, Yost Asked If Trump Held Any Sincere Views Or Principles. 

“Auditor Dave Yost, an early resident of the never-Trump camp, took to Facebook to express his disappointment, writing of the New Yorker’s ‘utter lack of principled convictions.’ ‘Watching his campaign over the past year, it seems he will say anything on any given day that he thinks will advance his position. In his heart of hearts — when he’s not playing a role on TV — what does he believe in? Is there anything that is non-negotiable?’[Columbus Dispatch, 5/7/16]

Yost Said That He Would Not Vote For Trump.

“I’m not going to vote for the man,’ Yost said, ‘not in the primary, not in the general election.” [Akron Beacon Journal, 3/2/16]

“I condemn his loathsome words and despicable attitude.” [WCBE, 10/09/16]

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For Immediate Release:
Friday, April 22, 2022
CONTACT: Cameron Keir, [email protected], 614-506-5413

Ohio Democrats Bring “Cost of Corruption” Tour to Columbus

From the Largest Public Corruption Scandal in State History to Major Tax Breaks for the Wealthy, Ohioans are Paying Billions for Republican Corruption

Columbus, OH —  Today, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters, Ohio Attorney General candidate Jeff Crossman, Ohio Auditor candidate Taylor Sappington, Ohio Treasurer candidate Scott Schertzer and Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein brought the “Cost of Corruption” tour to Columbus to highlight the high costs Ohioans are paying for GOP corruption under Mike DeWine’s leadership.

Ohio Democrats drew the contrast between the high cost of Republican corruption and the Democratic plan to invest in working families and put the interests of working Ohioans first.

“At a time when too many Ohioans are worried about high costs and making ends meet, Mike DeWine and his fellow Republicans are making you pay the price for their corruption while Democrats are laser-focused on investing in working families,” said Chair Walters.

Under Mike DeWine’s leadership, Ohioans are paying billions for GOP corruption as Republican politicians look to line their own pockets and the pockets of dark money interest groups, all while leaving hard-working Ohioans behind.

“Ohio finds itself in the middle of the largest public corruption scandal in state history that’s led to the arrest of a former Republican Party chair, the expulsion of a former Speaker of the House – an expulsion I helped lead – and the resignation of a top aide to Gov. Mike DeWine. Yet, working Ohioans are the ones covering the cost of the scandal, footing the bill for $287,000 in subsidies every single day,” said Ohio Attorney General candidate Jeff Crossman.

“I know firsthand how hard it is when you’re struggling to make ends meet – to put food on the table or pay for prescription drugs. The last thing we should be asking hard-working Ohioans to shell out for is GOP corruption that puts working families further and further behind,” said Ohio Auditor candidate Taylor Sappington.

Ohio Democrats are offering a better way forward.

“In Marion, like in so many towns across Ohio, things get done with collaboration and cooperation. We are a community of good people who just want to do what’s right for their families. Corruption has run rampant and politicians like Robert Sprague have been asleep at the wheel. From the FirstEnergy scandal to misspent Medicaid dollars to the governor’s airplane travel, your tax dollars are being wasted, and we haven’t heard a peep from Robert Sprague about what he plans to do about it. We can’t afford to have representatives in Columbus neglecting their duty and failing to look out for you and your tax dollars,” said Ohio Treasurer candidate Scott Schertzer.

“While Republicans are costing you billions, Ohio Democrats are investing over nine billion federal dollars to fix highways across Ohio, $100 million to bring broadband to those that don’t have it and $1.4 billion to assure clean and safe drinking water is available every time you turn on the tap,” said Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein.

Ohioans are paying BILLIONS of dollars for GOP corruption at Mike DeWine’s statehouse, including:

• $287,000 every single day for subsidies that bail out an out-of-state coal plant and are tied to the largest public corruption scandal in state history. The subsidies are estimated to cost Ohioans up to $1.8 billion by 2030. 
• $9 billion for special interest tax giveaways that mostly benefit for-profit corporations.
• $1.85 billion in tax breaks for the wealthy and well-connected, including wealthy GOP lawmakers who leave working Ohioans behind. 
• $118 million in improper Medicaid payments made to ineligible dead or incarcerated individuals.
• $20 million promised in tax credits to Lordstown Motors, a company currently under investigation by the DOJ and SEC and that employs DeWine’s grandson as its lobbyist. 
• $17.5 million settlement for a man who was paralyzed after being tackled by state prison guards.
• $9 million for the election chaos created by Republicans who refuse to pass fair maps. Their refusal to do their jobs will likely make a May 3 primary impossible, likely costing Ohioans another $20 million.
• $763,000 and counting to litigate the GOP-gerrymandered maps in court.  
• $39,000 for Mike DeWine’s private airplane travel to taxpayer-funded photo ops in 2019.

At a time when Ohio families are worried about their ability to make ends meet, the last thing they should be spending their hard-earned money on is the corruption running rampant at Mike DeWine’s statehouse. Ohio Democrats are ready to offer a better way forward.

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Columbus, OH — With only two days until Trump’s rally, the GOP Ohio U.S. Senate field has descended into even more chaos following Trump’s surprise endorsement of Vance. 

Trump’s endorsement of Vance was expected to be a coronation but if this week has been any indication –  it’s only provoked condemnation. The “We the People Convention,” a national Tea Party group headquartered in Akron, said they would not accept Trump’s endorsement and questioned why Vance would say Trump was “America’s Hitler.” Zawistowski, the president of the group, said, “We were stunned when he would endorse a J.D. Vance who has no connection to us. J.D. Vance was nowhere in Ohio when we were electing Donald Trump twice.” The group is also planning to protest Trump’s rally in Delaware and Zawistowski said that Trump can expect to hear boos when he comes to Delaware County this weekend.

Half of Trump’s 2016 Ohio RNC delegates called Vance’s endorsement a “betrayal” and sent a letter to Trump asking him to reconsider. The letter also called out Vance’s lack of connection to Ohio, saying, “Unlike the other candidates in this race, JD Vance has not developed relationships with Republican voters and grassroots leaders that are crucial to win.” 

And Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Jason Williams lambasted Vance about how poorly his endorsement is going over in Ohio. He said Vance is “the candidate who cares the least about Ohio” and is “the least authentic candidate in the race.” Williams also said, “Many Ohio Republican Party influencers are irate at Trump over his Vance endorsement. They’re quietly working against Vance.”

Trump texted Club For Growth President David McIntosh, expecting him to take down their anti-Vance ads and when they didn’t, had his assistant text McIntosh, saying, “Go f*^% yourself.” Club For Growth Action responded within minutes, saying they are increasing their ad buy in Ohio.  

“Trump’s endorsement hasn’t united the Ohio GOP – it has only created more chaos and division as Republicans have spent the past week destroying each other. With less than two weeks to go, this crowded primary will only get uglier and make it even harder for the GOP to unite behind one of their toxic, out-of-touch millionaires,” said Michael Beyer, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party. 

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