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Columbus, Ohio- As Ohio’s newest Senator Jon Husted settles into office, lobbyists around Capitol Hill are waiting for the chance to gain his support on any number of bills. Ohioans already know that Husted can be easily bought- so we’re sharing a tried and true guide on how to buy his influence. 

Do:

Bribes:  In 2017, FirstEnergy contributed $1 million to a dark money group supporting Husted’s primary campaign for governor. In the memo, they even wrote “Husted campaign.” While Senator Husted still refuses to tell Ohioans if he knew about the money, he’s been called a “good friend of FirstEnergy” and spearheaded HB6 through the legislative process. Bribery has always been the most obvious answer, but if you want to match FirstEnergy, it’s at least $1 million to buy your senator.

Cushy Board Appointments: If you’re looking to get on Husted’s good side more permanently, consider offering him a position on your corporation’s board… with a salary. It’s ok if your organization has business before the state of Ohio or any of Husted’s committees. In 2022, he joined the board of Heartland Bank, which does business with the state of Ohio, while still serving in office. He’s even paid a salary of $21,600 per year. 

Don’t

Call his office phone: Senator Husted’s voicemail box is already full due to the high volume of calls from constituents begging him to stand up and actually represent Ohioans. Unfortunately, they haven’t been able to get an answer even though he’s been in office for weeks now. If you’re a lobbyist looking to buy his vote, you’ll have to call his personal cell.

Subpoena him in a civil corruption suit: If you’re looking to buy Senator Husted and you get caught, it’s not a good idea to subpoena him for documents related to the case and then depose him about his role in the same case. It’s clear that Husted was deeply involved in the passage of House Bill 6, despite his denying it at every turn. 

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Columbus, OH — Today, Ohio Secretary of State, Loser Frank LaRose, reluctantly announced that he will run for State Auditor in the 2026 election cycle. After making himself the face of two losing statewide ballot initiatives, coming in third place in the Senate primary, and publicly pining for yet failing to get several appointments, Third-Place Frank has settled on running for his third choice job.

Even if he did show any real interest in the job, it’s not exactly a great fit for a politician with a history of shady voter suppression tactics and using his official position to influence Ohio’s elections. He implemented the  “most restrictive photo ID law in the country” resulting in thousands of Ohioans having their ballots rejected. When asked why the rejection rate was so high, he blamed the voters instead of taking responsibility.

Ohio’s State Auditor is supposed to ensure transparency and checks and balances in the government. LaRose enters the race with a history of trickery and questionable use of his official position that makes him especially wrong for this role. He manipulated ballot language on Ohio’s abortion rights and anti-gerrymandering constitutional amendments and asked local government officials to promote his false information about the anti-gerrymanderying measure. During his senate campaign, Third-Place Frank even moved his official office to the same building as his campaign office, then refused to answer questions from voters about the move.

“Ohio voters have rejected LaRose over and over, but he hasn’t gotten the message they’re sending loud and clear,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “It’s obvious that LaRose doesn’t actually want the job. If he continues his desperate attempt to hang on to power, Ohio voters will hand Loser LaRose yet another loss at the polls.”

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Columbus, Ohio- While Ohio’s newest Senator Jon Husted parades around Washington rubber stamping Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees as a desperate attempt to prove his loyalty, he’s also hoping his constituents will forget about his role in the largest corruption scandal in our state’s history. Husted refuses to work for Ohio in his new job, and Ohioans are still waiting for answers about what he did before he got his promotion.

Yesterday, Husted touted his vote to confirm Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and said “the high cost of energy is passed on to the American people.” He should know- Husted is the one who passed it on to Ohioans through his illegal collaboration with FirstEnergy executives to pass House Bill 6. Even years later, he refuses to answer questions about texts exchanged with now-indicted FirstEnergy executives, payments from FirstEnergy to dark money groups supporting his campaign, or his title as the “FirstEnergy’s Golden Boy.”

Ohioans are still waiting for answers about why he was deeply implicated in a scandal that cost them $500,000 a day and still hasn’t been fully repealed. Some Republicans are finally pushing for a full repel of HB6 but they don’t want to actually take accountability. They’re just backpedaling because they don’t want to face the consequences of their own actions at the polls.

READ MORE about the corruption Husted is running away from at StateOfficialTwo.Com

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Columbus, Ohio- Today, Vice President and former Ohio Senator JD Vance will visit East Palestine on the second anniversary of a train derailment that left families displaced, poisoned the city’s drinking water, and led to health effects that we still don’t know the full extent of. But while Vance poses for photos, residents of East Palestine are still waiting for the substantive change he didn’t deliver as a senator.

While on the campaign trail, Vance pretended to champion East Palestine when it was politically convenient for him. But as soon as he got the promotion he chased during his 18 months in the senate, he abandoned his job representing Ohioans. Along with it he said goodbye to any effort at passing real safety reform and holding the corporations responsible accountable. 

Vance didn’t just fail to take action as Ohio’s senator. The new administration is an immediate threat to rail safety across the country. Their extreme Project 2025 agenda would help corporations at the expense of hardworking railway employees. Whether it’s cutting back on staffing levels or key infrastructure inspections, Donald Trump and JD Vance are still a danger to communities like East Palestine.

“JD Vance pretends that he delivered real change for East Palestine, but when the cameras are off, he’s nowhere to be seen,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Ohioans see right through Vance’s attempts to ingratiate himself with the same folks that the new administration is screwing over every day. Senator Sherrod Brown showed Ohio what it meant to truly fight for rail safety reform, and we’re disappointed that residents don’t have any current senators who are willing to continue to fight for them.”

Columbus, Ohio- Today, Donald Trump’s White House set off an “inflation bomb” of new tariffs on all consumer goods. While billionaires and special interests celebrate, Ohio’s working families will be stuck with the bill. 

Ohioans should expect the cost of living to go through the roof. At the grocery store, the price of meat, fruit, and vegetables will skyrocket grocery bills. Consumers hoping for relief at the pump will have to look elsewhere- Ohio’s gas prices are expected to shoot up. After already paying higher energy bills because of Republican corruption in our state government, the White House could push energy costs even further.

Today’s new tariffs won’t just cost Ohioans at home. From the farms of southern Ohio to the auto plants in Toledo, our state’s industries are endangered by new rules. Experts believe ‘There is probably not a single assembly plant in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Texas that would not immediately be affected by a 25 percent tariff.” While Donald Trump rants and raves, our businesses and workers are stuck with the consequences.

“While Donald Trump tries to look tough, real families in Ohio are stuck paying the price for his reckless policies,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Ohioans are already struggling to make ends meet after years of failed leadership from Republicans in state government. Instead of delivering the help he promised, Donald Trump hit them with another tax.”

READ MORE about how Ohio’s working families will pay the price for Republican tariffs that only benefit billionaires:

10 TV: Trump’s proposed tariffs could result in higher prices for Ohio consumers

CBS: Trump tariffs on Canada and Mexico could drive up the cost of these products

WTOL: Trump tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China cause concern in Toledo

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