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Jon Husted Stays Silent As New Tariffs Send Costs Even Higher For Ohioans

COLUMBUS, OHIO — As sweeping new tariffs take effect, threatening to send costs even higher for Ohio farmers, small businesses, and families, Jon Husted is nowhere to be found.  

Jon Husted has voted three separate times to block efforts to rein in the tariffs that are driving up costs and closing off markets. Husted has also repeatedly doubled down in support of the tariffs, arguing that critics “are wrong,” that they “haven’t affected the economy negatively,” and that “the policies are working.”

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

“Jon Husted is still backing the reckless tariffs that are driving up costs and crushing Ohio farmers and small businesses. Ohioans across the state are getting hit with higher prices, but they won’t get any help from Husted, who would rather lecture them than actually fight to lower costs.” 

Jon Husted’s tariffs are driving up costs for Ohio families, farmers, and small businesses:

  • Jon Husted voted three separate times to block efforts reining in the reckless tariffs that are driving up costs.

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Jon Husted Claims He Wants Iran War To End, But Votes For The Twelfth Time To Support the Conflict

Meanwhile, gas prices have skyrocketed again in Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo

COLUMBUS, OHIO — In a new interview with CNN this week, Jon Husted claimed he wants the Iran “war to end” and for “gas prices to come down.” However, Husted’s actions don’t match his words.

When given another opportunity to vote to end the war, Husted officially voted for the twelfth time to support the expensive and unnecessary conflict that has sent energy and food prices soaring for Ohioans. Nationally, gas prices reached an average of $4 a gallon after continued attacks in Iran. 

WATCH: 

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

“Jon Husted claims that he wants the Iran war to end, but just voted for the twelfth time to support the endless conflict in the Middle East. Gas prices are surging again thanks to the Husted-backed war in Iran, and Ohio families are once again being forced to pay the price.”

While Husted keeps voting to make everything more expensive, he also can’t help himself from insulting hardworking Ohioans struggling because of his votes:

  • When asked recently if he was okay with not knowing how long the war will last or how much taxpayer dollars will be spent, Husted replied, “it’s not really up to us.”
  • When asked what he was doing to address rising gas prices for his constituents, Husted responded: “What do you want me to do?” 
  • When a truck driver asked about soaring diesel costs, Husted brushed him off and responded by asking if he was comfortable with Iran being a nuclear power. 

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NEW: Keith Faber Refuses To Commit To Continuing Case In Largest Public Corruption Scandal in State History

COLUMBUS, OH – While “one of the most high-profile tasks Ohio’s next attorney general will face is overseeing the second prosecution of ex-FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling on public-corruption charges starting early next year,” in new bombshell reporting from Cleveland.com, Republican candidate for Attorney General Keith Faber is refusing to commit to continuing the case if elected. The FirstEnergy bribery scheme that delivered a billion dollar bailout to utilities, has rippled through Republican-controlled Columbus, and has contributed to electricity costs increasing by $663 a year for Ohioans.

“The next Attorney General of the state of Ohio will be tasked with the immense responsibility of overseeing the prosecution of FirstEnergy executives in the largest public corruption scandal in state history – and Keith Faber is proving every day that he can’t be trusted to get the job done,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. “Ohioans deserve an Attorney General who will bring transparency and accountability to Columbus after decades of Republican control have raised costs for Ohio families and allowed corruption to run rampant – Ohioans are seeing every day that John Kulewicz is that leader.”

Read more on Faber’s refusal to commit to continuing the case in the largest public corruption scandal in Ohio history:

Cleveland.com: Only one Ohio AG candidate pledges to continue FirstEnergy bribery trial

  • One of the most high-profile tasks Ohio’s next attorney general will face is overseeing the second prosecution of ex-FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling on public-corruption charges starting early next year.
  • But so far, only one of the two candidates running for Ohio attorney general this fall – Democrat John Kulewicz – has pledged to continue the case if elected. The Republican nominee, Keith Faber, says he’ll hold off on committing to any course of action until he discusses the case with AG staffers after taking office.
  • After the pair’s first trial ended in a hung jury in April, then-Attorney General Dave Yost obtained a new, expanded grand jury indictment against them last month. “The roots of this complex case haven’t changed – FirstEnergy was hijacked by two scheming executives who sought to control the regulator that influenced the company’s stock prices,” Yost, a Columbus Republican, said at the time.
  • Jury selection in the new trial, initially set for September, is now scheduled to begin in early January, a few days before Wilson’s term ends and either Faber or Kulewicz is sworn into office.
  • Kulewicz, a retired attorney and Upper Arlington City Council member, said in an interview Thursday that, if elected, he has “every intention of moving forward” with the case
  • “I believe the state should move forward as fast as possible with the new indictment,” he said. “The people of Ohio deserve a speedy trial of those charges and a final resolution of the matter.”
  • Faber, a Mercer County resident currently serving as Ohio’s state auditor, declined in a statement to say what he would do about the prosecution.

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WHAT OHIOANS ARE READING: ‘Jon Husted says he wants to protect you from data centers, but he’s the one who invited them in’

Husted was called “The Face Of Data Centers” and led the charge to hand out billions in tax breaks

COLUMBUS, OHIO — New reporting from the Plain Dealer perfectly sums up Jon Husted’s bill on data centers — after years of leading the charge to bring a record number of these “power-hungry” facilities to Ohio, Husted is now pretending he cares about protecting families from higher electricity bills.

According to the Plain Dealer, Husted was “a data center’s best friend” and “spent years rolling out the red carpet” for these massive corporations to come to Ohio. Now, three months away from an election, Husted is “suddenly positioning himself as the guy who’s going to rein them in.”

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

“Husted is shamelessly running away from his record of jacking up Ohioans’ utility rates and selling out Ohio to out of state corporations building data centers in the state. It won’t work because Ohioans know the truth, and they will hold him accountable in November.” 

Read more about how Jon Husted led the charge to bring data centers to Ohio: 

  • When he was Lt. Governor, Husted led the charge to give billions in out-of-control tax breaks to out of state corporations building data centers in Ohio. 

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ICYMI: Data Centers Send Utility Rates Soaring for Ohioans Thanks to Jon Husted

NBC 4 Columbus: Data centers cause Ohio’s energy demand to surpass supply

COLUMBUS, OHIO — New reporting from NBC 4 Columbus shows that the massive data center boom in Ohio, spearheaded by Jon Husted, has caused energy demand to outpace supply, sending utility rates skyrocketing for Ohio families.

Jon Husted, who has been called “the face of data centers” in Ohio, led the charge to bring a record number of facilities to the state, helping cut sweetheart tax deals and fast track approvals for corporations to build massive data centers. CNBC even called Ohio one of the “best positioned to land AI data center deals despite rising public opposition.” 

Thanks to Husted’s push to hand billions in tax breaks to attract data centers to Ohio, utility bills are skyrocketing for families — with Ohio seeing the second largest utility rate increase in the country over the last year.

Read more: 

NBC 4 Columbus: Data centers cause Ohio’s energy demand to surpass supply

  • For the second year in a row, the organization that supplies Ohio with electricity was unable to meet its full capacity target.
  • PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization that includes Ohio and 12 other states, said the capacity of resources procured at last week’s auction is short of their reliability requirement.
  • PJM is facing a shortfall of about 6.8 gigawatts — the same amount of electricity it would take to power about 4 million homes. 
  • It also signals to state lawmakers and consumer watchdogs that Ohioans’ electric bills are going to continue to get even higher. 
  • State Sen. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) called the PJM auction results “the worst-case scenario.” 
  • “We’ve got data centers entering the market quicker than we can get generation to enter,” Smith said. “Unfortunately, it means prices are probably going to go up and reliability is going to go down.” 
  • PJM has also cited data centers as the primary driver of the overwhelming growth in energy demand.

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