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Husted and the Husted-DeWine administration mentioned 24 times yesterday

Text messages between Husted and indicted FirstEnergy executives at center of trial

Columbus, Ohio — Just days after new reporting revealed that Jon Husted held secret, unreported meetings with indicted FirstEnergy executives, Husted once again took center stage in the ongoing criminal corruption trial. Husted and the Husted-DeWine administration were mentioned 24 times yesterday — breaking the record set just the other week and further strengthening his deep ties to the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history. 

Text messages between Husted and indicted FirstEnergy executives are now at the center of the trial, underscoring how key his role was in the scheme that delivered a billion dollar bailout to utilities while sticking Ohio families with higher energy bills.

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

“Just days after reports revealed Jon Husted held secret meetings around HB 6, text messages between Husted and indicted executives surfaced in court — and his name was mentioned 24 times at trial. Ohioans deserve answers about why Husted remains at the center of the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history. What else is Jon Husted hiding?”

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

• New reporting reveals Jon Husted held secret meetings with indicted FirstEnergy executives, including with the “mastermind of Ohio’s largest public corruption scheme two days before scandal-ridden bribery legislation was introduced.”

• 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.

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Epstein Co-Conspirator Les Wexner: “I helped him politically”

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

Columbus, Ohio — Newly released deposition footage shows Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime friend and benefactor confirming that he backed Jon Husted politically throughout Husted’s career.

Husted has taken $116,892 from Epstein co-conspirator Les Wexner. Husted even took the maximum donation from the Epstein confidant just last July, only weeks before he voted against releasing the Epstein files.

WATCH HERE: 

Transcript: 

Les Wexner, Epstein Co-Conspirator: I’m sure I helped him. I helped him politically.

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

“Jon Husted owes us answers. He’s taken more than $116K from an Epstein co-conspirator and then voted to block the Epstein files. Now Les Wexner has confirmed that he is one of Husted’s biggest supporters. Ohioans deserve a Senator who will fight for transparency and justice — not one who protects pedophiles and his billionaire donors.” 

Husted is the only Senator up for re-election to take Wexner’s money, and Husted has taken 10 times as much money from the Epstein co-conspirator than any other sitting Senator. Les Wexner’s name appears more than 4,000 times in the released Epstein files and the billionaire was named by the FBI as one of Epstein’s co-conspirators.
 

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Husted Called Out for Being a “Pedophile Protector,” Refuses to Answer Questions

Columbus, Ohio — Ohioans across the state are calling 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.

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: 

Mike McCarthy, ABC 6: Protesters held a demonstration outside Senator Jon Husted’s office in downtown Columbus. He is one of the many lawmakers who took donations for their campaign from Les Wexner. Husted received $3,500 last year and more than $15,000 in 2023. 

Sue Hanson: And what that tells me is [Husted is] untrustworthy. He is, you know, he is looking out for his own self-interest. He’s up for reelection this year. And so I do not trust his motives. And he’s not identified where [the money is] going […].

Norwalk Reflector: Husted sidesteps Epstein question

• U.S. Sen. Jon Husted declined to answer a question Tuesday about campaign donations from billionaire Leslie Wexner and his vote on the release of Epstein-related files while at a campaign stop in Norwalk.

• A Reflector reporter asked Husted a question about campaign contributions Husted received from Wexner, an Ohio businessman recently named in files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, and on Husted’s initial vote against releasing files related to the Epstein investigation. 

• After receiving the question, Husted turned his head and did not respond. 

• Several people present shouted at Husted, including one who asserted he was a “pedophile protector.”

Angela An, 10TV Columbus: Today the protesters say that statement from [Husted’s]  office is not enough and they say they want to know more about how much money he’s received from Wexner and where he plans to donate. 

Sue Hanson: We’re focusing on Jon Husted and what he needs to do as a national leader, and you know, a person who is very visible and needs to step up. 

Angela An: A [Husted] spokesperson says that they are looking into those questions.

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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

Columbus, Ohio — Today, Ohioans called out Senator Jon Husted outside his Columbus office 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 Columbus follows mounting criticism from across the state. In Norwalk yesterday, Ohioans called out Husted for being a “pedophile protector.” Husted declined to answer questions about voting to block the release of the Epstein files after taking the maximum donation from an Epstein co-conspirator — instead turning his head and refusing to respond.

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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NEWS 5 CLEVELAND: Sen. Husted met with man accused of bribery 2 days before H.B. 6 was introduced, according to schedule

Columbus, Ohio — New reporting from News 5 Cleveland reveals that Senator Jon Husted’s ties to the FirstEnergy bribery scandal, the largest corruption scheme in Ohio history, are much deeper than previously known.

The new reporting underscores Husted’s key role in the $61 million dollar bribery scandal — revealing previously unreported secret meetings between Husted and the “mastermind” of the scandal just days before “scandal-ridden bribery legislation” was introduced.

On the first day of proceedings in the criminal trial of former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling, Husted was mentioned twenty one times, with his first mention coming less than twenty minutes after opening statements began.

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

“Ohio families are learning that Jon Husted’s ties to the FirstEnergy bribery scandal run even deeper than previously known. With new reporting exposing secret meetings linking Husted to the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history, there is one question on the minds of Ohioans: what else is Jon Husted hiding?”

News 5 Cleveland: Sen. Husted met with man accused of bribery 2 days before H.B. 6 was introduced, according to schedule

• U.S. Senator Jon Husted met with the alleged mastermind of Ohio’s largest public corruption scheme two days before scandal-ridden bribery legislation was introduced, according to his official calendar.

• As former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and VP Mike Dowling are on trial for bribery, their close ties to major political players continue to be revealed.

• “He had access to Jon Husted, the lieutenant governor of the state of Ohio,” Steven Grimes, the attorney for Dowling, said during the opening statements.

• A brand new records request shows Husted’s calendar from 2019. Two days before H.B. 6 was introduced, Husted had a scheduled meeting with Randazzo, the bill drafter. Combined with our records received in 2024, the calendar lines up dates and times, giving more legitimacy to texts between FirstEnergy officials that Husted was talking to them as frequently as they said.

• Call logs showed dozens of conversations between Husted, Randazzo and leaders within FirstEnergy.

• Throughout the hearing process, Husted had reported a dozen meetings related to energy policy, H.B. 6, more than any specific bill on his calendar. 

• We reached out to Husted’s team on Monday morning and asked them half a dozen questions, including why he was so involved in this legislation. By Tuesday evening, his team still hadn’t responded to comment.

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

• Jon Husted is listed as a potential defense witness in the criminal trial of Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling, underscoring his role in the scheme that delivered a billion dollar bailout to corporations while sticking Ohio families with higher energy bills.

• 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.

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