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Husted refuses to back stock trading ban for members of Congress 

COLUMBUS, OHIO — New reporting from NBC 4’s Colleen Marshall reveals that Jon Husted “sold stock worth nearly $60,000” when he was serving on the board of directors of Heartland Bank after being appointed to the U.S. Senate.

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Transcript: 

Colleen Marshall, NBC 4 Columbus: “We’ve reported before that Husted and his wife made investments in Heartland Bank stock and then in March of 2022, he was appointed to the Heartland Board of Directors, a position for which he received a six-figure salary. Questions were raised back then about a possible conflict of interest because of his economic role within the DeWine-Husted administration — he was serving on the bank board while he was Lieutenant Governor. 

Colleen Marshall, NBC 4 Columbus: [Husted] was on the board when Heartland merged with German American Bank and Husted sold stock worth nearly $60,000. He resigned from the board when he was appointed to the U.S. Senate and his most recent financial disclosure shows a $27,000 payment from the bank at that time.

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

“Jon Husted refuses to ban stock trading in Congress because he’s personally enriching himself while having access to insider information. While Ohio families are struggling to afford the basics, Husted is cashing in while in office. Ohioans deserve a Senator focused on making life better for them — not enriching themselves.”

Read more about Jon Husted’s corruption:

• Husted’s personal financial disclosure reveals that he profited off of nearly $60,000 in stock sales as part of an insider deal with Heartland Bank. 

• Husted’s disclosure also reveals that he received a sweetheart payout from Heartland Bank after leaving the board — giving him a full year’s salary for just one month of work.

• Husted has long been under fire for secretly joining the board of Heartland Bank while serving as Lt. Governor, in a move that was called “loaded with potential conflicts of interest.”

• In February, NBC 4 reported that Husted refused to back a stock trading ban for members of Congress, while reporting that his wife had investments of up to $15,000 in Intel Corporation stock.

• In a recent interview, Husted admitted to meeting with Intel about the status of the company’s Ohio manufacturing project, suggesting he had access to non-public information.

• As Husted profits off insider information, he 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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Husted has voted eight times to back expensive and unnecessary Iran war

COLUMBUS, OHIO — In a new interview this week, Jon Husted doubled down on his support of the Iran war that is crushing Ohioans with skyrocketing food and energy prices. 

• Husted claimed the military aspect of the war “went very well,” even though the Strait of Hormuz remains shut down and gas prices have soared.

• Husted admitted the conflict that he has voted to support eight times has caused gas prices in Ohio to skyrocket.

• Husted refused to answer what his red line would be to support ending the war, including if he supported sending in American ground troops.

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.”

Husted’s comments continue his long trend of insulting hardworking Ohioans who are getting crushed by soaring costs caused by policies he supports:

• 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. 

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

• 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.”

• Husted promised that higher prices would be “returned” as soon as the U.S. was “done” with the war in Iran, even though experts have asserted that gas “won’t return to pre-war levels any time soon.”

• Husted argued that Ohioans getting crushed with skyrocketing prices just have to “remain strong,” as gas in Ohio “remains astronomically high.”

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

• 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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COLUMBUS, OHIO — New reporting out today shows that Jon Husted’s senior advisor and general counsel has “maintained a paid consulting relationship” with an Ohio lobbying firm — receiving $22,652 in income in addition to his federal salary.

Previous reporting revealed that the same senior advisor in Husted’s office worked as an opioid and utilities lobbyist whose clients “made millions” off the FirstEnergy corruption scandal, which resulted in a billion dollar bailout for utilities that’s contributing to families paying thousands of dollars more on their energy bills.

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

“We’ve always known Jon Husted was corrupt, but he’s not even trying to hide it anymore — his senior advisor is currently working as a consultant for a lobbying firm who helped pass the corrupt FirstEnergy bailout for utilities that’s contributing to families paying thousands of dollars more on their energy bills. Ohioans deserve better, and they will vote Jon Husted out in November.”

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NOTUS: Top Jon Husted Senate Aide Kept Working for Ohio Lobbying Firm

• A top aide to Republican Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio maintained a paid consulting relationship with an Ohio lobbying firm while serving as the senator’s senior adviser, according to a federal financial disclosure filing.

• Sean Dunn, who has served as Husted’s senior adviser and counsel since February 2025, disclosed working as a consultant for Statehouse Impact Group — a Columbus-based government relations and lobbying firm.

• The disclosure — part of Dunn’s certified personal financial report covering calendar year 2025 and submitted to Congress on May 14 — shows Dunn received $22,652 from the firm while he also worked in Husted’s office.

• Husted’s office did not respond to questions about the nature of Dunn’s work with Statehouse Impact Group.

• Anne Griffin of Columbus, Ohio, filed a formal complaint on May 29 with the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics, asking for it to investigate both Dunn and Husted, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by NOTUS.

• The complaint also implicates Husted directly, arguing that the senator bore primary responsibility under Senate rules to prevent conflicts of interest among his staff and appears to have failed in that duty. 

• The complaint asks the committee to investigate both whether Dunn received improper compensation and whether Husted was aware of the arrangement and failed to act.

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REPORTING: Inflation hits 4.2% in May, highest in over 3 years as energy prices soar

COLUMBUS, OHIO — New data today shows that the Jon Husted-backed war in Iran has sent inflation surging to the highest level in years, with CNBC reporting that “rising energy costs [have] contributed to pain for consumers.”

Despite the pain that Ohioans are feeling, Jon Husted has dismissed their concerns: 

• 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 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?” 

• 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.

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

“Thanks to Jon Husted, inflation has soared to the highest levels in years and Ohioans are getting crushed by rising energy and food prices. Instead of fighting to lower costs for Ohio families, all Jon Husted cares about is sending more money for war overseas while lecturing hardworking Ohioans to work harder and earn more money.”

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Ohio families paying $663 more a year on utility bills thanks to Husted’s corruption

COLUMBUS, OHIO — In case you missed it, Jon Husted’s corrupt donors were reindicted with new criminal charges in the FirstEnergy bribery scheme — the largest public corruption scandal in Ohio history. The widened scope of the reindictment will call Jon Husted’s central role in the bribery scandal into further question.

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

• Previous reporting has already uncovered phone calls, text messages, and secret meetings between Husted and the indicted FirstEnergy executives, and Husted was forced to testify for the defense in a state criminal trial — where he was mentioned 386 times.

• When Husted was forced to testify, his testimony showed discrepancies from public documents and reporting, only raising more questions. 

• Husted’s FirstEnergy nightmare isn’t going away anytime soon, with the new trial set to begin September 18, 2026.

• The massive FirstEnergy bribery scheme that Jon Husted championed delivered a billion dollar bailout to utilities and contributed to electricity costs for Ohioans increasing by $663 a year. 

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

“Ohioans are calling on Jon Husted to come clean about his central role in the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history that’s costing families thousands of dollars more on their utility bills. It seems every week more details come to light about Jon Husted’s deep ties to this massive corruption scheme. Ohioans deserve accountability and answers about how deep his involvement goes.”

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Cleveland.com: New charges against ex-FirstEnergy executives could reshape second corruption trial

• New criminal charges filed this week against two former FirstEnergy executives could dramatically change how prosecutors present one of Ohio’s largest public corruption scandals in an expected second trial.

• Former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and the utility giant’s former top lobbyist, Michael Dowling, still face accusations that they bribed Sam Randazzo just before he became chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

• But a new indictment unsealed Thursday broadens the case, accusing the pair of participating in a wider scheme that also involved former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and the passage of the scandal-ridden House Bill 6, which gave FirstEnergy a $1.3 billion ratepayer bailout of two failing nuclear plants.

• The indictment says Jones and Dowling learned during a late-2018 dinner with incoming Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted that Randazzo was being considered to lead the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

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