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

Columbus, Ohio — After taking more than $116,000 directly from Epstein co-conspirator Les Wexner — including the maximum donation just a few weeks before he voted to block the release of the Epstein files — Jon Husted is now attempting to erase his record of protecting pedophiles and his billionaire donor.

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

“Jon Husted is desperately trying to bury the fact that he took more than $116,000 directly from an Epstein co-conspirator and then voted to block the release of the Epstein files. But Ohioans know exactly what’s going on — Husted was bought off and is protecting pedophiles and his billionaire donor — and they will hold him accountable in November.”

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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NEW REPORTING: Husted Voted Against Epstein Files Release After Taking $116,892 From Jeffrey Epstein Co-Conspirator Les Wexner

Columbus, Ohio — New reporting reveals Senator Jon Husted has taken $116,892 from Les Wexner, the longtime friend and benefactor of pedophile and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Further, Husted even took the maximum donation from the Epstein confidant just last July, only weeks before he voted against releasing the Epstein files.

The new reporting comes after Husted voted last year against a bipartisan effort to release the files related to Jeffrey Epstein. 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.

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

“Jon Husted has been bankrolled by Jeffrey Epstein’s largest supporter and has even taken his money just last year as he voted  to block the release of the Epstein files. Ohioans deserve truth and someone who’s actually working for them — not a Senator who protects pedophiles and sides with the rich and powerful. The question is simple: what else is Jon Husted hiding?”

Read more:

Punchbowl News:

• Donation watch. Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) has a lengthy history of accepting donations from the former CEO of Victoria Secret parent-company, L Brands, Leslie Wexner. Wexner is also a former Jeffrey Epstein associate whose name appears repeatedly in FBI files on the disgraced financier. Wexner’s most recent $3,500 donation to Husted came in July 2025.

• Husted’s campaign committees have directly received a total of $79,900 from Wexner dating back to 2001. Wexner also donated $10,000 to Husted and Ohio GOP Gov. Mike DeWine’s transition fund, in addition to $27,000 to DeWine’s campaign after Husted was named his lieutenant governor.

• An FBI document from 2019, recently released as part of the Epstein files, listed Wexner as a co-conspirator for Epstein. Wexner’s legal team has insisted Wexner was “neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect” to the Epstein probe. Wexner hired Epstein to manage his personal finances in the 1980s. Wexner cut ties with Epstein following Epstein’s 2007 Florida indictment.

• Wexner is a prominent GOP megadonor who’s given to scores of Ohio pols over the years. Husted’s team didn’t respond to a request for comment and hasn’t previously commented on the Wexner donations.

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Husted: “You don’t hear from the ones that love it, right?”

Columbus, Ohio — In a new interview with Julie Mason, Jon Husted once again defended the reckless tariffs that are driving up costs for Ohio farmers, manufacturers, and small businesses, while dismissing the very real pain that Ohioans are feeling across the state.

WATCH HERE: 

Transcript:

Julie Mason: And you know, Senator, I’ve heard anecdotally that a lot of small businesses also feel hard hit by the tariffs.

Jon Husted: Yeah, they do. There’s no doubt that — I mean, some of them feel — you don’t hear from the ones that love it, right? You hear, you hear from the ones that get hit. And there’s no doubt that there are some small businesses that have had a great boost as a result […]. 

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

“Jon Husted was caught defending the reckless tariffs that are driving up prices across Ohio. While small business owners are struggling to keep their doors open and farmers face rising costs, Husted is dismissing their pain and pretending everything is fine. Jon Husted is completely out of touch with the people of Ohio.”

Husted’s comments are the latest example in a long pattern of dismissing the real struggles Ohioans are facing: 

• Husted has dismissed concerns from struggling Ohioans, claiming that he has helped lower grocery and gas prices and that affordability problems do not exist.

• Husted revealed he has no solutions to actually lower prices, suggesting that Ohioans should just “earn more” to make ends meet.

• Husted insulted Ohio families who are working harder than ever to get by, complaining that Ohioans have a “broken” work ethic.

• Husted voted three separate times last year to block efforts reining in the reckless tariffs driving up costs and closing off markets.

• Because of the Husted-backed tariffs sending costs soaring, some small businesses in Northeast Ohio may need to close. 

• The Husted-backed tariffs are costing a Grove City manufacturer millions of dollars in business, potentially threatening hundreds of jobs. When the company reached out to Jon Husted, his only response was that he “passed along” the concern to the administration.

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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.

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