Big News: Voters Finally Get To Weigh in on Husted's Trail of Failure and Scandal
A Long Record of Damage and Scandal
This week, Jon Husted formally kicked off his 2026 campaign for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat. He turned in his signatures and launched a predictable video and lots of unsurprising endorsements.
Of course, we all knew he was going to run.
But this kick-off is still a big deal—definitely something to celebrate. Just not for the reason Husted thinks.
Because no one in Ohio has avoided scrutiny or accountability more—for what is a decades-long trail of deep and lasting damage—than Jon Husted.
Which means this election will be Ohio voters’ first chance to weigh in (Husted has not been on the ballot on his own since 2014) on some of the worst things to happen to Ohio in our lifetimes, which all have one thing in common: Jon Husted.
I’ll let Sherrod Brown and his team focus on Husted’s failures as a US Senator.
But as he kicks off his campaign, let me be the one that reminds everyone of Husted’s record as a long-time state official. Once you read it, you’ll be amazed the guy is in office at all—let alone the U.S. Senate.
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There’s a term called “failing up.”
But in Ohio, politicians “scandal up.” Being part of scandals doesn’t cost you — it’s how you get ahead.
The Ohio poster child of “scandalling up” is Jon Husted.
And, Husted’s “scandalling up” even includes being named to replace JD Vance as Ohio’s US Senator.
Broadly, Husted has played a key role in major controversies and scandals ever since his time as Speaker of the House in the early 2000s. Arguably more than any figure.
To name a few: Husted played a role in gerrymandering the state, twice; he lost cases at the Supreme Court trying to suppress votes before presidential elections; he lost a case trying to suppress young votes; he purged millions of voters from the rolls; he supported a direct attack on Ohio’s democracy (in 2023) and lost; he opposed reproductive freedom in 2023, and lost.
His main role as Lieutenant Governor was economic development. Yet despite endless Husted grandstanding and millions doled out, Ohio’s recent (between 4Q 2021 and 3Q 2023) GDP growth ranks 45th in the nation. The most touted projects are delayed or fell through.
Since he began meddling in Ohio’s education system on behalf of donors and supporters, Ohio has plummeted in the quality of our education—from 5th in the nation in 2010 to the mid-20s, according to Education Week. The underfunding of public schools is at a crisis point.
So how, amid all this, did Husted move ahead?
To answer that, let me tell you about the worst parts of his record. Because in the broken culture of Ohio politics, “worst” in other worlds turns out to be the keys to success here.
Scandal 1: Selling Off Public Education To the Highest Bidder
Husted’s education story begins back when he was Speaker of the House. And the failed record here isn’t about policy (although the “policy” has been a disaster), it’s about pay to play, and intentionally removing accountability to fuel that pay to play (a pattern that plays out repeatedly).
Specifically, the key moment came in 2005. New reckless experiments in for-profit charter schools were already raising red flags, although the architects were also emerging as big-dollar donors to GOP politicians. Pay to play at its worst—selling public education funds to private bidders.
An agency called the Legislative Office of Education Oversight—whose role it had been to provide oversight of education, and these new, for-profit schools—issued warnings that these new for-profit companies were fraught with risk, to students, and to taxpayers.
Later, when the State Board of Education “tried to persuade lawmakers to put online charter school regulations into [a] bill.” , along with e-school regulations, Husted and the legislature also killed those efforts.
The new industry exploded, beginning Ohio’s downward spiral of wasted dollars and declining education outcomes while the recipients of these dollars converted a portion of them back into political donations. A classic pay-to-play scheme.
What difference did all this Husted handiwork make?
Just ask ECOT—the online for-profit charter school that emerged as the biggest player (and GOP donor), and later turned into one of the biggest scandals in Ohio history. (Horrible results, of course, but ECOT also collected millions in taxpayer funds for “students” they could not prove existed, prompting an FBI investigation).
For all his hard work on their behalf, ECOT bestowed Husted with their first honorary degree (Husted also received $36,000 from ECOT-related donors over the years. The party and others received far more.)
And when they gave him that degree, they said: “Without Speaker Jon Husted ... the ECOT revolution in e-learning in Ohio may have ended.”
In any normal, rule-of-law state, you’d think this level of disaster and culpability on something as important as education would be the end. Especially when it was this wide out in the open.
But this is Ohio politics and government.
Husted refused to give the funds back even after the scam imploded, with ECOT’s founder going bankrupt amid an FBI investigation. And when he’s asked about the scandal now, he shamelessly blames the very bodies whose warnings he defied.
And he gets away with it!
Even worse, Husted wasn’t done yet even with undermining public schools.
State School Board Takeover
With more and more questions circulating around both for-profit charters and the explosion of private vouchers (another looming disaster Husted takes credit for), voters in 2022 elected new members of the Ohio state school board who were dedicated to supporting public schools again. The new majority promised to bring back some needed independence to scrutinize the plummeting situation in a state that was once a forerunner in public education.
And what happened as a result?
Just as he had done as Speaker with LOEO, Husted swooped in and led the push to rip power away from that board. To keep the new oversight from coming. Same trick that he pulled with for-profit schools:
Even though 74% of Ohioans disagree with the power grab from a body THEY elect…
…and even though the Ohio Constitution establishes a separate education board and department, a provision the voters put in place decades ago precisely out of the concern that guardrails were needed, Husted pushed hard and publicly to make this happen.
And it did.
So now, most of the education decisions that have proved so disastrous—that led to one of the largest scandals in Ohio history—are even further behind closed doors.
With billions of dollars flowing to private school vouchers, there is no transparency whatsoever as to how they’re being spent, and no one asking questions. A recipe for another disaster, thanks to Jon Husted (and he brags about having started it all).
Scandal 2: Selling Energy Policy To the Highest Bidder (While Ohioans Pay)
If ECOT is the second largest scandal in Ohio history, number one is the First Energy scandal. Once again, Husted played an intimate role in making it all happen.
The heart of the scandal, as laid out in federal and state indictments (as well as on HBO), is that an insider energy utility lobbyist was paid a hefty sum—$4.3 million—by a large utility called First Energy (which later admitted it was indeed a bribe) shortly before being tapped to run Ohio’s utilities commission (PUCO), with an understanding that this insider will do what they ask (“as requested and as opportunities arise”) once he’s assigned that oversight role.
Think about that: A utility hand-picking and paying a lobbyist with $4.3 million because he oversees the body that regulates it. That is as corrupt gets. And so damaging to the public interest in so many ways—from how much we pay in rates to how we compete in the 21st century.
Anyway, this initial act later exploded into the largest scandal in Ohio history, taking twists and turns so extreme that two people involved (including the bribed lobbyist) committed suicide.
But the most damning part of what started it all is not that the bribed lobbyist got appointed.
It’s how he got appointed.
And who was at the center of that decision?
You guessed it….Jon Husted.
The Damning Timeline
First, take a look at this document:
The timeline makes clear that on December 17 and 18, 2018, Sam Randazzo (the appointed lobbyist) communicated about the vacancy on the utility commission, then sent a message detailing $4.3M in payments he wants made from 2019-2024.
Within a day of the message about the payment, the executives responded that they will pay the entire $4.3M right away. Only 13 days later(!)—Dec. 31–the executives sent him the entire $4.3M.
Two days later, Randazzo received it. Happy New Year!
So—the payment was not only offered but fully paid.
Now look at this document:
That’s right—Randazzo didn’t even apply for the position with the utility commission until weeks later—on January 17!
Think about that: the “Executives” paid Randazzo $4.3M—both agreeing to and letting the full amount out the door—in December. Not only before he was named to lead the utility commission, but before he even applied.
The $4.3M Question: How Did They Know?
Paying him before he even applied for the position begs the obvious question: how were they already so confident he’d get the job—before he even applied for it—that they sent him $4.3 million in advance?
Was someone on the inside, or at the top, of the State’s selection process already giving them assurances—assurances so secure that they were that comfortable parting with $4M?
In other words, did they know parting with the $4.3M wasn’t a risk at all? Because it was already a done deal? Before he ever applied?
And if they knew that, how?….
The Room Where It Happened
Who are the key decisionmakers for an appointment such as this? The newly elected Governor and Lt. Governor, that’s who.
And who is also all over the broader timeline of events taking place when the payment and appointment are made?
His name doesn’t rhyme with Busted, but it shares all but one letter:
As I’ve explained in past videos, on the evening of December 18, 2018 (after the request for payment by Randazzo), at the Athletic Club of Columbus, Jon Husted and the Governor attend a dinner with First Energy executives, including one directly involved with the bribe. Afterward, the First Energy CEO sent Randazzo a text “indicating they discussed the open PUCO seat,” and that they discussed Randazzo in particular.
Husted claims he doesn’t remember what was discussed: “Husted didn’t dispute that the dinner occurred but said he doesn’t remember if they talked about Randazzo’s appointment.”
But the later indictments might refresh his recollection:
FIRST, one of the indictments says outright: “During the dinner, Randazzo’s name was discussed as a candidate for PUCO Chairman.” And later text messages revealed that “Jones and Dowling learned that Randazzo was the incoming administration’s preferred candidate.”
SECOND, one indictment included a copy of the written crib notes of a First Energy executive of what they planned to discuss at the dinner, and advice on how to approach the conversation. The note specifically tells the executive how to handle the meeting and frame the PUCO appointment.
But even more importantly, these notes make it clear that “Jon H.” is already keyed in on the details:
The notes refer to a “2-person PUCO deal” that a lobbyist has already discussed with “boss.” “…[H]e has discussed with Jon H…Jon is getting some negative feedback (maybe from Sam R.?)”
So Jon Husted not only knew going into this dinner key details of ideas being pushed within the First Energy world. But the note-writer guessed Husted had heard directly back from Randazzo about one of those details.
Bottom line: at the dinner, Husted was told that “PUCO and the chair spot specifically is so important to [First Energy’s] business and our success.” According to the indictment, “Randazzo’s name was discussed as a candidate…,” and First Energy learned that Randazzo “was the incoming administration’s preferred candidate.” When the dinner ended, those same executives met with Randazzo, and arranged to pay him $4.3M, which they did within two weeks. Randazzo was nominated weeks after tha.
So if we’re looking for which public officials allowed for the capture of state government by private interests, Jon Husted looks to be at the top of the totem pole.
The detail guy—the insider who already knew specifics beforehand.
But there’s more:
Randazzo later testified publicly about who “recruited” him to serve in the PUCO role: “He specified during the confirmation hearing that Husted and Laurel Dawson…were among those who helped recruit him.” (Husted, as Speaker of the Ohio House, had also recruited Randazzo to be on the commission years before (2007) as well.)
On January 18, 2019, First Energy Executives texted one another about anotherPUCO appointment that they worry will turn into a “high hurdle”:
FE Executive: “‘Jason has a high hurdle and I don’t know if he will be able to clear it.”“
FE CEO: “It’s called Jon Husted but hopefully you lowered that hurdle today.”
A text chain a week after that shows that the FE Executive had a call with Husted to keep tabs on the Randazzo appointment. “Had a great conversation with Gov this morning,” Husted had told him.
And on another occasion, Husted came through once again. When Randazzo’s nomination hit a rough patch, apparently Husted (“State Official 2”) “perform[ed] battlefield triage.”
I think this is what we call a pattern:
From beginning to the final appointment, Husted was intimately and intensely involved. The insider doing First Energy’s work for them. And this, as you’d expect, this all follows massive dark money support of Husted by First Energy.
Years later, the executives at that fateful dinner have been indicted:
The lobbyist Husted “recruited” not only was indicted, but committed suicide.
And the Ohio Attorney General is still investigating it all.
But what about Husted, whose name must be all over that AG investigation as it continues?
He “scandalled up,” is now the U.S. Senator of Ohio, kicking off his 2026 campaign this week.
And my guess is the media will hardly mention any of this. Which is yet more proof about how much scandal has become normalized in Ohio politics.
But at long last, the voters will finally have their say.
Thank you, Mr. Pepper. This needs to be shared in every nook and cranny throughout the state
Husted is the poster child for “the banality of evil.”