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Husted Continues to Dodge Questions From Ohioans Who Deserve Accountability

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO — In case you missed it, Ohioans in Youngstown called out Senator Jon Husted for taking more than $116,000 directly from Epstein co-conspirator Les Wexner, including a maximum donation just a few weeks before he voted to block the release of the Epstein files. 

The rally in Youngstown comes as Husted continues to dodge questions and accountability after voting against the release of the Epstein files. Last week, Husted ran away from a reporter when asked why he accepted money from an Epstein co-conspirator.

Ohioans have also protested Husted outside his Columbus and Toledo offices, and Husted was called out for being a “pedophile protector” at an event in Norwalk. Husted is the only Senator up for re-election to take Wexner’s money, and has taken 10 times as much money from the Epstein co-conspirator than any other sitting Senator.

See For Yourself:

WMFJ: Youngstown protest targets U.S. Sen Husted over Epstein vote

• The Ohio Democratic Party is accusing U.S. Sen. Jon Husted of helping block the release of files connected to now deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, pointing to a Senate vote and campaign donations tied to billionaire businessman Les Wexner.

• Democratic activists gathered in Youngstown at Wick Park Monday with signs reading “Vote Husted out,” “Husted is busted,” and “Pedophile protector,” claiming the senator voted against releasing the Epstein files weeks before accepting donations connected to Wexner, who has faced scrutiny over his past ties to Epstein.

• The protest centers around a September 2025 Senate vote in which Husted rejected an amendment that would have directed the Department of Justice to release files tied to Epstein.

• “That initial vote sent the wrong message to society, and it’s really more than a partisan issue. It’s an issue of ethics and morality,” Maria Pappas, Vice Chair of the Mahoning County Democratic Party said.

• Activists also pointed to campaign donations from Wexner made around the same time as the September vote.

Youngstown Vindicator: Local Dems criticize Husted over Wexner contributions

• A group of local Democrats criticized Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted for taking more than $116,000 from billionaire Les Wexner, who had a longtime relationship with notorious child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

• At a Monday news conference at Wick Park Pavilion, organized by the Ohio Democratic Party, retired educators Maria Pappas of Poland — who is also the Mahoning County Democratic Party’s vice chairwoman — and Donna Zielinski of Niles said they had serious concerns about Husted’s judgment because he took the money from Wexner.

• Pappas and Zielinski criticized Husted for initially not voting to release the Epstein files. Husted voted Sept. 10 against an attempt by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York senator, to attach an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to release the Epstein files.

• Husted is the only incumbent senator on the ballot this year who took Wexner’s money.

• Zielinski said: “My objection is to how Husted handled the files,” and as an educator she was responsible for reporting any child abuse.

• She said: “Why are politicians immune to that?”

• Pappas said Husted exercised “bad judgment” by taking Wexner’s money and “we need those in leadership roles to lead by example.”

• Pappas said: “You can judge a nation by how it treats its most-vulnerable citizens – children, underaged teens, the elderly, the handicapped. This is way bigger than the Epstein files because the Big Beautiful Bill attacks all of those vulnerable populations” and Husted voted for that.

• While Les Wexner hasn’t been charged criminally for his relationship with Epstein, he is named as a co-conspirator in the FBI’s sex trafficking investigation into Epstein.

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Husted to trucker getting crushed by diesel prices: “What do you think about Iran being a nuclear power?”

COLUMBUS, OHIO — In two new interviews, Jon Husted dismissed concerns from Ohioans getting crushed by skyrocketing gas prices because of the war in Iran he supports: 

• 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. 

• When asked what he was doing to address rising costs for his constituents, Husted responded: “What do you want me to do?” 

WATCH HERE:

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

“Jon Husted could not be more out of touch with Ohioans who are getting crushed by soaring gas and diesel prices because of the endless war he supports. Instead of actually working to lower costs, Husted is backing more money for war overseas while insulting his constituents and lecturing Ohioans to work harder.”

The Husted-backed war in Iran is crushing Ohio families and farmers:

• Ohioans are being hit by soaring gas prices, and farmers are getting crushed by rising diesel and fertilizer costs, which will raise the price of groceries.

• Jon Husted has voted eight times to continue the war in Iran while costs continue to skyrocket.

• Jon Husted has claimed that he thinks the war is “good news for the global economy” and going “much better than anyone thought it would.”

• When asked about the pain that Ohio families are feeling at the pump, Jon Husted’s campaign “declined to comment.”

• Jon Husted continues to insult struggling Ohioans as “not very experienced at navigating the real world” and consistently dismisses the mounting affordability crisis by telling Ohioans to fix their “work ethic” and to simply “earn more” money to make ends meet.

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REPORTING: Husted Took $116,892 From Les Wexner, Including A Max Donation Just A Few Weeks Before Blocking Epstein Files Release

Husted Continues to Dodge Questions From Ohioans Who Deserve Accountability

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO — Today, Ohioans in Youngstown called out Senator Jon Husted for taking more than $116,000 directly from Epstein co-conspirator Les Wexner, including a maximum donation just a few weeks before he voted to block the release of the Epstein files. 

The rally in Youngstown comes as Husted continues to dodge questions and accountability after voting against the release of the Epstein files. Last week, Husted ran away from a reporter when asked why he accepted money from an Epstein co-conspirator. 

Ohioans have also protested Husted outside his Columbus and Toledo offices, and Husted was called out for being a “pedophile protector” at an event in Norwalk. Husted is the only Senator up for re-election to take Wexner’s money, and has taken 10 times as much money from the Epstein co-conspirator than any other sitting Senator.

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Husted continues dodging basic questions that Ohioans deserve answered

COLUMBUS, OHIO — In a new interview, Jon Husted was asked why he took more than $116,000 directly from Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Les Wexner, including a maximum donation just a few weeks before he voted to block the release of the Epstein files. Instead of answering, Husted ran away. 

WATCH HERE:

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

“It’s no surprise that Jon Husted literally ran away when asked why he took more $116,000 from an Epstein co-conspirator, including a maximum legal donation just weeks before voting against releasing the Epstein files. Ohioans deserve answers about why Husted took the money, voted to protect his billionaire donor, and continues to run away from accountability.”

As a reminder, Jon Husted is the only Senator up for re-election to take Wexner’s money, and has taken 10 times as much money from the Epstein co-conspirator as any other sitting Senator. Wexner’s name appears in the released Epstein files more than 4,000 times.

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COLUMBUS, OHIO — New reporting shows that Jon Husted hired an opioid and utilities lobbyist as a “senior advisor” in his office. The report reveals that before joining Husted’s office, the lobbyist’s clients “made millions” off the House Bill 6 scandal, which resulted in a billion dollar bailout for utilities that’s contributing to families paying thousands of dollars more on their energy bills.

As a reminder, Jon Husted remains at the center of the massive FirstEnergy corruption scandal, with new reporting from the Associated Press revealing Husted’s ties to be much deeper than previously known.

See For Yourself: 

Ohio Capital Journal: Top Husted aide lobbied for Ohio utility that profited from corrupt law

• When Husted reached the Senate five years later, one of his first moves was to hire as a top advisor a longtime utility lobbyist. 

• The lobbyist’s client made millions off the scheme at the heart of the 2020 utility scandal. The same lobbyist had also represented a massive drug wholesaler that had paid out millions to settle claims that it had negligently distributed vast amounts of opioids in addiction-ravaged Ohio.

• Husted’s decision to hire the lobbyist, Sean Dunn, has some questioning whether average Ohioans’ welfare is Husted’s top priority.

• “It’s tone deaf because he’s an elected official who doesn’t see how cozy relationships can compromise his decision making,” said Catherine Turcer, executive director of Common Cause Ohio, which advocates for accountable government. “Or he sees a benefit to these very cozy relationships.”

• According to disclosures filed with the Ohio Lobbying Activity Center, Dunn began lobbying for AES in 2009 and did so until February 2025.

• During that time, Dunn lobbied the state legislature and the executive branch on numerous measures relating to Ohio House Bill 6, the 2019 law that was the product of what one federal prosecutor said was “likely the largest bribery and money-laundering scheme ever in the state of Ohio.”

• In addition to Dunn’s ties to AES, he also lobbied on behalf of Dublin-based Cardinal Health, one of the three largest prescription-drug wholesalers in the United States. Dunn’s engagement with the company ran from 2009 to 2019.

• Federal enforcement actions and government lawsuits against the drug wholesaler alleged that Cardinal frequently ignored “blatantly suspicious orders” as it shipped billions of opioid pills into Ohio and other U.S. states.

• Disclosures also show that Dunn made $895,000 in the 15 months before he joined Husted’s team and was owed between $1 million and $5 million by his old firm. 

• Husted’s office was asked what the senator was doing to relieve the affordability crisis, and to explain his decision to hire as a top advisor someone who’d grown wealthy lobbying on behalf of some of the industries driving the crisis.

• It didn’t answer.

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