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Columbus, OH – According to a new bombshell report from Vice, J.D. Vance said that people in violent marriages should not get divorced for the sake of the children. Vance also claimed that divorce makes it easier for people to “shift spouses like they change their underwear.”

“J.D. Vance does not trust women to make decisions about their own bodies and believes women should put themselves in danger and stay in violent marriages. Vance’s comments are beyond the pale, and he is too dangerous to be in the U.S. Senate,” said Michael Beyer, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.

Vice: JD Vance Suggests People in ‘Violent’ Marriages Shouldn’t Get Divorced
Cameron Joseph
July 25, 2022

• JD Vance said people need to be more willing to stay in unhappy marriages for the sake of their kids—and seemed to suggest that in some cases, “even violent” marriages should continue.
• The Ohio Republican Senate nominee, talking to Pacifica Christian High School in Southern California last September, gave an extended answer that claimed that people now “shift spouses like they change their underwear,” and that it had done long-term damage to a generation of children.
• “This is one of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace, which is the idea that like, ‘well, OK, these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy. And so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, that’s going to make people happier in the long term,’” Vance said.
• “And maybe it worked out for the moms and dads, though I’m skeptical. But it really didn’t work out for the kids of those marriages,” Vance continued. “And that’s what I think all of us should be honest about, is we’ve run this experiment in real time. And what we have is a lot of very, very real family dysfunction that’s making our kids unhappy.”
• “Culturally, something has clearly shifted. I think it’s easy but also probably true to blame the sexual revolution of the 1960s. My grandparents had an incredibly chaotic marriage in a lot of ways, but they never got divorced, right? They were together to the end, ’til death do us part. That was a really important thing to my grandmother and my grandfather. That was clearly not true by the 70s or 80s,” he said.
• “And I think that probably, I was personally and a lot of kids in my community, who grew up in my generation, personally suffered from the fact that a lot of moms and dads saw marriage as a basic contract, right? Like any other business deal, once it becomes no longer good for one of the parties or both of the parties, you just dissolve it and go onto a new business relationship. But that recognition that marriage was sacred I think was a really powerful thing that held a lot of families together. And when it disappeared, unfortunately I think a lot of kids suffered,” Vance said.
• VICE News asked Vance’s campaign why he thought “it would be better for children if their parents stayed in violent marriages than if they divorced,” as well as whether he wanted local or federal law changed to make it harder for couples to divorce.
• Vance sent the following statement in response, via a campaign staffer:
• “I reject the premise of your bogus question. As anyone who studies these issues knows: domestic violence has skyrocketed in recent years, and is much higher among non-married couples. That’s the ‘trick’ I reference: that domestic violence would somehow go down if progressives got what they want, when in fact modern society’s war on families has made our domestic violence situation much worse. Any fair person would recognize I was criticizing the progressive frame on this issue, not embracing it.
• But I can see that you are not a fair person, so rather than answer your loaded and baseless question, let me offer the following: I’m an actual victim of domestic violence. In my life, I have seen siblings, wives, daughters, and myself abused by men. It’s disgusting for you to argue that I was defending those men.”
• Vance’s campaign declined to make him available for an interview to clarify his comments. When asked follow-up question of whether “he thinks people in violent marriages should generally stay together or get divorced,” a Vance spokesperson said they felt Vance’s statement already answered this question.
• This isn’t the only time Vance has tied divorce rates to societal instability.
• When he was asked about gay marriage at a March candidate forum hosted by Toledo Right to Life, Vance said that he doesn’t like the “cafeteria Christianity” of people selecting their own beliefs and said he believed that “marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman,” before pivoting into a criticism of how divorce has become more societally acceptable.
• “The entire idea that you can discard your husband or your wife like a piece of clothing is one of the most dangerous assaults that we’ve ever seen on the family in this country,” he said. “If we want children to grow up with healthy, happy lives, we should be reminding them that the most important thing that we can do for our kids is make sure they grow up with a mom and dad at home. The assault on the institution of marriage has been a profound evil. It hasn’t just affected our adults, it’s affected our children in big ways.”

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Good Monday afternoon, and welcome back to Mike Check, your weekly source of all the infighting, conspiracy spewing and corruption that’s making headlines in and around the Republican governor’s race and Mike DeWine’s statehouse, courtesy of the Ohio Democratic Party.

Here are some stories you may have missed:

THE TERRIBLE TWOS. Last Thursday was the second anniversary of Larry Householder’s arrest and Saturday marked the third anniversary of DeWine signing the tainted HB 6 into law, two milestones in what would become the largest public corruption scandal in state history. Instead of coming clean and sharing what they knew and when, Mike DeWine and those in his inner circle continue to refuse to tell Ohioans what they knew about the scandal and when they knew it. And it’s still costing Ohioans $287,000 each day. From his meeting with Mike Dowling and Chuck Jones to the resignation of top staffer Dan McCarthy to FirstEnergy donations to his daughter, DeWine seems to have something to hide. While Republicans like DeWine continue to try and “no comment” their way out of the scandal, Democrats are fighting each and every day to make sure that doesn’t happen. That’s why we’ve sued Mike DeWine over his refusal to turn over records connected to the scandal. So far, crickets on our updated records requests.

WILL DEWINE DUCK DEBATES?  Mike DeWine has already dodged one debate this year, too scared to take on the likes of political heavyweights like Jim Renacci and Joe Blystone. But Ohioans deserve answers on issues ranging from the FirstEnergy bribery scandal to his anti-abortion stances to his refusing to heed concerns from Ohio law enforcement about dangerous gun bills he signed into law. Last week, Nan Whaley called on DeWine to debate across the state. DeWine can’t run away scared this time. He must face the voters straight on and face consequences if he doesn’t. Ohio voters deserve nothing less.

PAYS TO HAVE FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES. As part of his taxpayer-funded official duties as governor, Mike DeWine regularly releases appointments to various state boards. However, it seems as if DeWine is once again playing politics with a state-funded process by appointing Eleanore Awadalla to the University of Toledo Board of Trustees. Records show Awadalla also donated at least $5,000 to the DeWine-Husted campaign in the last two elections, raising questions about whether the appointment was politically motivated. First time this happened? Hardly. Last month, DeWine appointed Lynn Isaac to the same board. He donated at least $10,000 to the DeWine-Husted campaign. Ohioans deserve answers about these appointments, but if history shows us anything we know DeWine will keep hiding the truth.

Thanks for catching up with us, that’s all the Mike Check we’ve got for this week. Have a great week!

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Columbus, OH – In case you missed it, the Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) held a virtual press call with Black leaders condemning J.D. Vance for comparing abortion to slavery.

J.D. Vance continues to face backlash for his extreme position and out-of-touch comments cheering on the largest rollback of women’s rights in half a century – including calling rape “inconvenient.” Vance has tried to avoid talking about abortion since the ruling – despite praising the decision as an “amazing victory.”

The full video of the press conference can be viewed here. Below is a summary of the remarks from the press conference:

• State Representative Juanita Brent, Ohio Legislative Black Caucus President: “We have seen a huge threat on the access to health care when it comes to women having abortions here within the state Ohio…As we look at this decision, we look at the ignorance that candidate J.D. Vance has decided to put out there comparing abortion to slavery…This person has decided to compare one to the two.”
• State Representative Catherine Ingram: “The idea that he would talk about slavery and talk about the disproportionate impact on Black females. How dare he…I don’t want his apology as a Black female in the state of Ohio…How dare you insult Black women and all women.”
• State Representative Terrence Upchurch: “It is infuriating that J.D. Vance compared abortion to slavery. Plain and simple, J.D. Vance doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Women having control over their own bodies is what this issue is about. And comparing abortion to slavery is dangerous and out-of-bounds.”
• State Representative Candidate Erika White: “Comparing abortion to slavery isn’t the only out-of-touch thing J.D. Vance has said on abortion. He’s even called rape ‘inconvenient’ and when asked if he supports abortion in the cases of incest said that ‘two wrongs don’t make a right.’

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Columbus, OH — In case you missed it, a Cleveland.com analysis dug deeper into Dave Yost’s disgusting handling of a horrific case involving a 10-year-old central Ohio girl who was raped and forced to travel out of state to get an abortion after Republicans implemented an extreme six-week abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest. Andrew Tobias of Cleveland.com recaps all of the ways Yost mishandled the case, from questioning the story of the victim without any facts to back it up to refusing to apologize to further underscoring the consequences of Yost’s six-week abortion ban for Ohioans.

“Although partisanship and the intensely differing views on abortion will lead some to defend Yost, at best, he looked foolish speculating on national television about a sensitive topic about which he clearly was not informed. At worst, it’s easy for critics to cast him as being callous or even professionally irresponsible, given his office’s work, which includes supporting rape survivors and often getting involved in local criminal cases. Victims’ advocates said Yost’s decision to publicly doubt the story could prevent future victims from coming forward, given the still prevalent social stigma that they may not be believed, ” writes Cleveland.com’s Andrew Tobias.

Earlier this week, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters called on Yost to resign. Read more HERE.

Read more from Cleveland.com HERE and below.

• A textbook political adage for elected officials is if you’re going to speak out about something controversial, make sure you’ve got your facts straight. And if you somehow make a mistake, try to limit the damage by owning up to it, or at least shutting up until it blows over.
• Attorney General Dave Yost fell short on both counts last week after he went on national TV to help sow doubts about a story about a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim who traveled to Indiana in June to get an abortion. The tragic story was confirmed the following day when a Columbus man was arrested and accused of the crime, leading to widespread debate, including criticism of how Yost, as the state’s top law enforcement official, chose to speculate about a sensitive case on cable news.
• For a brief recap, Yost’s national involvement in the story began on July 11, when he went on Fox News for a primetime interview to discuss whether or not the incident really happened. The story was first publicly reported by the Indianapolis Star in a July 1 article, quoting an Indianapolis doctor who said she treated the girl after a referral from a colleague in Columbus. As the story gained wider attention, some media critics noted the story was difficult or impossible to confirm, while conservatives noted the doctor’s past public advocacy for abortion rights.
• Yost leaned into those doubts two days later on Fox News, where the segment kicked off with a chyron saying the story had “major red flags.” And in his remarks, Yost, while holding open the possibility the story could be true, said it was “especially telling” that as the state’s top law-enforcement official, no agency had reported the crime to his office, which plays a major role in investigating rape cases.
• But on Wednesday, the Columbus Dispatch reported the arrest. Court documents say Gerson Fuentes, 27, confessed to police after he was arrested the day before and that Columbus police were notified of the case on June 22. 
• But Yost, rather than show regret for how things had transpired, doubled down on his earlier comments, saying in a round of media interviews that he only was doubting the way the story was initially reported.
• Although partisanship and the intensely differing views on abortion will lead some to defend Yost, at best, he looked foolish speculating on national television about a sensitive topic about which he clearly was not informed. At worst, it’s easy for critics to cast him as being callous or even professionally irresponsible, given his office’s work, which includes supporting rape survivors and often getting involved in local criminal cases. Victims’ advocates said Yost’s decision to publicly doubt the story could prevent future victims from coming forward, given the still prevalent social stigma that they may not be believed.
• First, it helped smoke out some clarity on how the medical exemptions in Ohio’s broadly written new heartbeat law, which bans abortions after fetal cardiac activity can be detected, may apply in real life. Because the law is so new, only going into effect following the U.S. Supreme Court decision, and since no specific medical conditions are explicitly spelled out as exemptions in its written language, it was not previously known how state officials might interpret it. The lack of clarity can make some doctors risk-averse, since breaking the law could cause them to be charged with a felony.
• Finally, it likely will help shape the terms of public debate, as Democrats and abortion-rights advocates point to the consequences of Ohio’s abortion restrictions notably not including an exemption for rape victims.
• Republicans have seen other scandals roll off their backs, like the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow online charter-school scandal in 2018 and the 2020 corruption scandal surrounding House Bill 6, the nuclear bailout law.
• But abortion and protecting children are more visceral, hot-button political issues. And Ohio Democrats say the way Yost conducted himself has energized their supporters.
• “Both since the Dobbs decision came down and last week in response to Yost’s abhorrent media appearances,” Ohio Democratic Party Chairwoman Liz Walters said this week as she called for Yost’s resignation, something he’s certain to ignore. “He kind of stepped right into a pit of his own demise on this, in my opinion. It shows he is callous. It shows he is unfeeling. And it shows he is prioritizing national media appearances over the health and welfare of the citizens he has taken an oath to protect and defend.”

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Columbus, OH – J.D. Vance continues to face fallout for flip-flopping on accepting corporate PAC money and for his abysmal fundraising numbers showing his campaign in debt. It’s just the latest reversal for Vance, who has also changed his position on Trump, antisemitism, racism, gun violence prevention, being a member of the elite, defending members of the elite, trade deals, Big Tech and white privilege.

Several new reports even revealed J.D. Vance’s campaign is still raising money to repay its primary debt – over two months after the primary – and before soliciting donors for the general election ahead. Vance may even be pocketing the funds himself to repay the $700,000 he loaned his campaign.

“J.D. Vance is a phony who will lie to anyone to further his own ambition. With his campaign still struggling to repay primary debt, Republicans sounding the alarm, and polls moving away from him, it’s clearer than ever that J.D. Vance is floundering,” said Michael Beyer, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.

Read highlights below:

Cleveland.com: Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance makes about face on accepting corporate PAC money
Andrew Tobias
July 20, 2022

• While running in the Republican primary race for U.S. Senate earlier this year, J.D. Vance flatly said he would not accept any contributions from corporate PACs.
• But a campaign finance report Vance’s campaign filed on Friday shows that Vance, since winning the Republican Senate nomination in May, has accepted tens of thousands of dollars from corporate PACs in the energy, insurance and real-estate industries.
• While on Steve Bannon’s podcast in January, Bannon, a far-right political figure in ex-President Donald Trump’s orbit who has positioned himself as a populist, quizzed Vance on the subject.
• “Not yet. We haven’t taken any yet,” Vance said. He paused briefly before cleaning up his answer by adding: “Sorry. I’m not going to take corporate PAC money.”
• But Friday’s campaign-finance report shows Vance accepted money from at least 11 corporate PACs, including those tied to name-brand companies. Among those that gave $5,000 contributions to Vance’s campaign committee: Continental Resources Inc., an Oklahoma oil-and-gas company; Rock Holdings, a Michigan-based company owned by Cleveland Cavaliers Dan Gilbert; Philips 66, the Houston-based energy company; Marathon Petroleum Company, Nextera Energy, based in Florida and Koch Industries.
• Also giving to Vance’s campaign were PACs for General Dynamics, the military contractor, which gave $1,000, and ExxonMobil, which gave $2,000.
• In addition, Vance’s campaign-finance report shows he took $6,000 from corporate PACs — for First American Financial Corp and Traveler’s Insurance — that specifically designated the money to help Vance pay off campaign debts. Vance’s campaign and its affiliated committees have accumulated $1 million in total debt, $700,000 of which is a personal loan Vance made to help seed his campaign.

The Vindicator: Vance changes tune in accepting corporate PAC money
David Skolnick
July 21, 2022

• J.D. Vance, the Republican Senate nominee who said in January that he wouldn’t take corporate political action committee money, accepted more than $40,000 from those entities in the second quarter while focusing fundraising efforts on retiring his primary election debt.
• The decisions highlight Vance’s financial challenges in the Senate race with U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, his Democratic opponent, despite emerging as the winner of a bitter Republican primary and seen as the favorite candidate in a GOP-controlled state.
• When asked Jan. 6 by Steve Bannon on his “War Room” podcast if he took any corporate PAC money, Vance said: “Not yet, and we haven’t. We haven’t taken any yet.” A couple of seconds later he told Bannon: “Sorry, I’m not going to take corporate PAC money.”
• But with Vance’s various campaign committees raising considerably less than Ryan, the Republican nominee has changed his tune.
• Also, with Vance’s Senate campaign and Ohioans for J.D., a joint fundraising committee with his leadership PAC, showing it owes almost as much as it has in surplus, Vance’s main financial focus is on retiring his primary election debt with raising money for the Nov. 8 general election being secondary.
• Vance’s Senate campaign would have had a deficit if not for $700,000 he gave it while Ohioans for J.D. would have only a $91,626 surplus as of June 30 if it paid the outstanding debt it owes.
• Ohioans for J.D. transferred about $170,000 in the second quarter to his Senate fund to retire other campaign debt.
• The contribution link on Vance’s campaign website seeks money for Vance Victory — a joint fundraising committee created June 3 with his Senate campaign, the Ohio Republican Party and Working for Ohio, Vance’s leadership PAC.
• It states the first $2,900 of any contribution is “designated for 2022 primary election debt retirement” for his Senate fund.
• The next $2,900 is “designated for the general election” for the Senate fund, the next $10,000 toward the ORP and the final $5,000 for Working for Ohio.
• The same financial division with the primary debt prioritized was on an invitation to a June 28 fundraiser in Cincinnati with a $20,800 maximum ticket and a $5,800 minimum ticket as well as an invitation to a July 12 Zoom fundraiser with U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, with no ticket amounts listed.
• That same financial breakdown is on a Monday fundraiser invitation in Washington, D.C., with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a former NRSC chairman, with tickets ranging from $500 to $5,000.

Roll Call: Ohio Senate candidate Vance asking donors to help pay debts
Kate Ackley
July 19, 2022

• As Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance fell far short of his Democratic opponent Tim Ryan in recent campaign donations, one of the Republican’s chief fundraising vehicles says it prioritizes paying off the campaign’s debt from the May 3 primary he won. 
• The campaign’s biggest creditor: Vance himself. 
• He loaned his campaign $700,000 for the primary, Federal Election Commission filings show.
• Vance Victory, a joint fundraising committee that splits donations between Vance’s Senate campaign and two other committees, states in its formula for dishing out donor funds that the first $2,900 of an individual contribution would be “designated for 2022 Primary Election debt retirement.” The next $2,900 would go to Vance’s campaign for the general election, with the next $10,000 to the Ohio Republican Party and the following $5,000 to Working for Ohio, Vance’s leadership political action committee.
• Vance’s campaign declined comment. 
• In addition to the $700,000 that Vance lent his campaign for use in the primary, the campaign owed $183,000 to campaign vendors and supporters, such as $372 in travel costs owed to the campaign fund of Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, according to a recent FEC filing.
• The joint fundraising committee “could raise funds to retire primary debt, including debt owed by the campaign to the candidate,” said campaign finance lawyer Brett Kappel. 
• Vance, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump in his bid for the seat being vacated by GOP Sen. Rob Portman, had $628,000 in his campaign account on June 30 after raising $1 million from April through June. Ryan, meanwhile, had $3.6 million after raising $9.1 million, filings to the FEC last week showed.

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