Uncategorized

Columbus, Ohio — It’s been a brutal week for Jon Husted, as new reporting and courtroom revelations underscore a troubling pattern of corruption, self dealing, and siding with the rich and powerful at the expense of Ohio families.

First, as the FirstEnergy corruption trial kicked off this week, Jon Husted’s name was mentioned twenty-one times on the very first day of opening arguments, putting him at the center of the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history.

700WLW News Radio: Jon Husted At The Center Of FirstEnergy Corruption Trial 

• Travis Laird: Ohio’s former Lieutenant Governor is being called the golden boy of the FirstEnergy scandal. […] Jon Husted’s name was dropped 21 times on the first day of the corruption trial in Akron. As prosecutors lay out the racketeering case against former executives Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling, evidence presented Wednesday labeled Husted as the company’s golden boy.

• Laird: Court documents reveal text messages showing constant communication between Husted and the executives during the fight to pass the House Bill 6 bailout. Democrats say the texts prove Husted was fighting to the end for the utility giant, though he is listed as a potential witness for the defense.

Then, new reporting uncovered that Husted has taken nearly $700,000 from insurance companies and executives that are directly raising rates on Ohioans — as families struggle to afford health care: 

American Journal News: Husted took hundreds of thousands from insurers now raising Ohio rates

• Ohio Sen. Jon Husted has accepted more than $679,000 from insurance companies and their executives over the course of his political career. Many of those companies are now raising rates for struggling Ohioans.

• All of the corporations backing Husted are now raising rates on Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) plans in Ohio. 

• The rate increases come on top of the expiration of enhanced Obamacare tax credits that kept premiums low for 22 million Americans, including 500,000 Ohioans. 

• On Jan. 13, Husted said he opposed a bipartisan plan to reinstate the credits for three more years.

Finally, it was revealed that Husted opposes a ban on members of Congress trading stocks while actively trading stocks himself in office — raising serious concerns about conflicts of interest: 

NBC 4 Columbus: Husted Trades Stocks In Office, Opposes Stock Trading Ban

• Colleen Marshall, NBC 4 Columbus: Financial disclosure documents show [Senator Husted] and his wife are invested in dozens of mutual funds and individual stocks, including for her, stock in Intel. As Lieutenant Governor, Husted was a driving force behind the effort to bring the chipmaker to Ohio. So is that the kind of potential conflict [proponents of a stock trading ban are] targeting?

TiffinOhio.net: Jon Husted opposes stock trading ban while actively trading stocks in office

• New reporting from NBC 4 Columbus details Sen. Jon Husted’s opposition to a ban on stock trading by members of Congress and their spouses, alongside disclosures showing investments held by his family.

• During a segment aired by NBC 4, anchor Colleen Marshall cited federal financial disclosure documents indicating that Husted and his wife are invested in dozens of mutual funds and individual stocks, including stock in Intel Corporation held by his wife.

• Marshall noted that, while serving as Ohio lieutenant governor, Husted played a prominent role in efforts to bring Intel’s semiconductor manufacturing project to Ohio, raising questions cited by proponents of a congressional stock trading ban about potential conflicts of interest. 

• NBC 4 reported that Husted has declined to support such a ban.

Heartland Signal: Ohio Sen. Jon Husted’s financial wins mirror his government ties

• Financial disclosures show that U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) has financially gained from stocks in companies where he likely had close knowledge.

• While Husted was serving as Ohio’s lieutenant governor in 2022, he joined the executive board for Heartland Bank. 

• In the same year, Husted reported over $1,000 in common stock investments in Heartland Bank, according to records of Husted’s 2022, 2023 and 2024 financial disclosure statements provided by the Ohio Ethics Commission via records request.

• In 2024, Heartland Bank announced that it would merge into a subsidiary of German American Bancorp, a process that was overseen by the Ohio Department of Commerce.

• The Heartland shares jumped by 55% after the merger announcement.

###

Husted Has Taken Nearly $700K From Health Insurance Companies Raising Rates In Ohio

Columbus, Ohio — Today, Ohio patients, small business owners, and health care providers rallied outside Jon Husted’s Columbus office to call out his refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits and lower health care costs — resulting in as many as 120,000 fewer Ohioans signing up for coverage through the marketplace.

This comes as new reporting reveals Husted’s close ties to Ohio’s insurance industry, taking nearly $700,000 from insurance companies and executives that are directly raising rates on Ohioans. This includes at least $75,000 from Centene, a company that was forced to pay the state of Ohio $88 million in damages for committing Medicaid fraud.

“This year more than half a million Ohioans had their insurance costs skyrocket, causing over 120,000 to go without. People are making tough choices between heath care and basic needs. This is a direct result of Jon Husted’s votes and his choice not to fight for people in Ohio,” said State Senator Beth Liston. 

“Our healthcare costs are skyrocketing, and Senator Jon Husted has done nothing! In fact, he has actively made this tremendous health care issue worse by refusing to extend the ACA tax credits 9 times during Congressional voting! This is the insurance option that saved my life,” said Mindy Hedges, a Delaware County resident and Type 1 diabetic.

“As a nurse, I see the consequences of unaffordable health care every day — patients skipping medications or delaying care because of insanely high costs. We are tired of watching Jon Husted side with the big insurance companies over Ohioans. It’s time our politicians put people over profits,” said Catharyne Henderson, Ohio Nurses Association. 

“The Affordable Care Act tax credits were a lifeline to me and how I was able to afford insurance as a small business owner. Because Jon Husted sided with the big insurance companies over us, I won’t be able to afford health insurance this year. This is Jon Husted’s health care crisis,” said Melinda Carter, a Columbus small business owner. 

###

Day 1 Trial Tracker: Husted Mentioned 21 Times

Columbus, Ohio — As the FirstEnergy bribery trial kicks off in Akron, one thing is already clear: Jon Husted is more deeply connected to the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history than already known. 

On the very first day of proceedings, Husted was mentioned twenty one times, with his first mention coming less than twenty minutes after opening statements began. Husted is listed as a potential defense witness, underscoring how key his role was in the scheme that delivered a billion dollar bailout to corporations while sticking Ohio families with higher energy bills.

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

“The reason Jon Husted’s name keeps coming up in this trial is simple: he played a key role in Ohio’s largest corruption scandal. From staying in constant communication with FirstEnergy executives to helping pass a billion dollar bailout that raised energy bills on families, Husted’s activities make it clear why he was FirstEnergy’s ‘golden boy.’ Ohioans deserve answers about how deep Husted’s ties go.”

Read more about Jon Husted’s role in Ohio’s largest corruption scandal:

• 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 and FirstEnergy Executives reveal that the trio were in constant communication “before, during and after his campaign.”

• Indicted FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones said Husted was a “good friend of FirstEnergy” who was “highly engaged” and “fighting to the end” in support of the massive bail out.

• Just weeks after Husted and DeWine were elected in 2018, they had dinner with Jones and Dowling at the Athletic Club of Columbus.

• Public records show that FirstEnergy funneled $1 million in dark money to a nonprofit backing Husted in 2017 — part of the same corrupt scheme that led to federal indictments.

###