OHSen

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.

###

Husted: “People living in poverty are just not very, they’re not very experienced at navigating the real world”

LIMA, OHIO — Today, Ohioans in Lima gathered for the sixth stop of Husted’s Real World Tour, calling out Jon Husted for his out of touch attacks on hardworking families.

Ohioans are already struggling with high grocery and utility prices because of Jon Husted’s corruption, and the skyrocketing cost of gas caused by the Husted-backed Iran war is forcing families to cut back even more. Instead of working to lower costs, Jon Husted has insulted struggling Ohioans as “not very experienced at navigating the real world” and dismissed the mounting affordability crisis by telling Ohioans to fix their “work ethic” and to simply “earn more” money to make ends meet.

“I was born and raised on the south end of town where mom and dad had to work very hard to get where they are. Jon Husted’s comments about struggling people not knowing how to ‘navigate the real world’ are disappointing. These are people waking up every day, doing everything they can do to survive in an economy that has become much harder. Jon Husted is the one who’s out of touch,” said Lima City Council President Jamie Dixon. 

“Jon Husted has caused the problems that make it harder to navigate the real world. The problem is, Husted led the charge to give utility companies billion dollar tax breaks while everyday families struggled to pay the bills. On the way home last night, I saw gas at over $5 a gallon. Husted also voted nine times to increase health care premiums. Jon Husted, you’re the one that’s out of touch,” said Jeff Adams, President of UAW Local 1219.

“Jon Husted is telling Ohioans to have a better work ethic. I still go out and work. I still go do community service. Jon Husted needs to understand that — that we’re not lazy, and we’re not trying to beat the system,” said Jeff Givans, candidate for Ohio House of Representatives. 

###

When asked about skyrocketing gas prices for Ohioans, Husted “declined to comment”

COLUMBUS, OHIO — This week, Jon Husted voted for the seventh time to support the Administration’s war in Iran, continuing to back the expensive foreign intervention in the Middle East that has sent costs skyrocketing for Ohioans.

Because of the Husted-backed war, 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. Despite all this, Husted thinks the war is “good news for the global economy” and going “much better than anyone thought it would.”

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

“Jon Husted has now had seven chances to stand up for Ohio families and farmers and fight to lower costs, but every time he has voted to support the endless war in the Middle East. Ohioans are getting crushed by higher gas and food prices, but all Jon Husted’s only answer is to send more money overseas while lecturing families to work harder and earn more money.”

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 seven 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.

###

WASHINGTON POST: Iran war pushed inflation to highest rate in nearly three years

COLUMBUS, OHIO — New data today shows that the Jon Husted-backed war in Iran has sent inflation surging to the highest level since late 2023. According to AAA, “Ohio currently has some of the highest gas prices in the country” and Ohioans are seeing “little to no relief in sight.”

Jon Husted has voted six times to support the endless war in the Middle East and has claimed the war is going “much better than anyone thought it would” and is “good news for the global economy.” And when asked about the pain that Ohio families are feeling at the pump, Husted’s campaign “declined to comment.”

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

“Thanks to Jon Husted, inflation has soared to the highest levels in nearly three years and Ohioans are getting crushed by rising gas 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 simply work harder and earn more money.”

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 six 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.

###

COLUMBUS, OHIO — As Ohioans head to the polls today, Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement on Senator Jon Husted: 

“As voters head to the polls today, one thing is clear: Jon Husted is screwing over Ohioans by putting billionaires and corporations before lowering costs. Jon Husted is part of the corrupt system that lets politicians enrich themselves while life gets more expensive for working people, and he keeps insulting struggling Ohioans by telling them to just work harder. Voters will send Jon Husted packing in November.” 

Here’s what to know about Jon Husted: 

Jon Husted’s loyalties lie with powerful insiders like Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirators, not regular Ohioans. 

• Husted voted against releasing the Epstein files to protect one of Jeffrey Epstein’s closest friends and co-conspirators. 

• He has taken over $116,000 from the Epstein co-conspirator, 10 times more than any other sitting Senator in America. 

• Husted even accepted the maximum contribution from him last year, and just weeks later voted to cover up the files.

• Husted’s association with pedophiles and predators doesn’t stop there. His campaign has proudly touted the endorsement of State Representative Rodney Creech, who has been accused of sexual misconduct involving a minor relative.

• Husted’s Sandusky County co-chair has also come under fire reminiscing on video about talking to young girls about sex during Ohio House testimony.

Jon Husted helps corporations and billionaires, even when it hurts Ohioans. 

• Husted is part of the rigged system that allows corrupt politicians to enrich themselves and helps billionaire elites, all while hardworking Ohioans get screwed. 

• In the Senate, Husted has voted 9 times to increase health care premiums on Ohio families. Because of Husted’s votes, hundreds of thousands of Ohio families will see their health care costs rise over $800 a year for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans.

• Husted also was the deciding vote to cut health care to raise health care costs to help pay for the largest tax cut for billionaires in history, claiming “he loves doing that kind of stuff.”

• As Husted actively makes life harder for families, he has the nerve to insult them — claiming that struggling Ohioans aren’t “experienced at navigating the real world” and that the solution to rising costs is for Ohioans to “earn more” money and to fix their “broken work ethic.” 

• Husted has voted six times to support another endless war in the Middle East, sending energy prices skyrocketing and crushing Ohio farmers and families. He claimed recently that the war was going “much better” than expected and that Ohioans will eventually need to “do more work.”

Jon Husted was at the center of the largest bribery scheme in Ohio history that sent electric bills skyrocketing. 

• Husted sold Ohioans out to pass a billion dollar bailout for utilities that contributed to electric bills skyrocketing more than $600 annually.

• Public records have uncovered phone calls, text messages, and secret meetings between Husted and the corrupt FirstEnergy executives, and Husted was forced to testify for the defense in a state criminal trial.

• The utility company’s executives were indicted for spending $61 million on political bribes, and spent millions more to elect Husted.

###