Attorney General Pam Bondi repeatedly defended her team’s work.
In his testimony before Congress, Bondi suggested that the Obama administration refused to respond to the Epstein sex trafficking scandal.
- Several Columbus politicians have received campaign contributions from billionaire Les Wexner.
- Wexner has not been charged with a crime, but FBI documents describe him as a possible “co-conspirator.”
- Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and City Attorney Zach Klein are not contributing past donations from the Wexners at this time.
A growing list of Ohio politicians are donating campaign funds they received from billionaire retail tycoon Les Wexner ahead of his congressional testimony about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Ohio’s two Republican senators and the mayor of Columbus are not among them.
Mr. Epstein was Mr. Wexner’s financial advisor, but Mr. Wexner said he ended his relationship with Mr. Epstein in 2007. Wexner has never been charged in connection with the Epstein case.
Wexner is mentioned thousands of times in documents related to Epstein released by the Justice Department in recent months, including an FBI document that describes him as a possible “co-conspirator.” These revelations have prompted some politicians to push back against Mr. Wexner’s past generosity. This includes Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin, several Franklin County officials, two state senators, and Representatives Joyce Beatty and Mike Carey.
Mr. Carey, a Columbus Republican, said he plans to donate past campaign contributions from Mr. Wexner to Mr. Epstein because “disturbing details” have come to light about Mr. Wexner’s relationship with Mr. Epstein.
“After I voted to release the entire Epstein file, disturbing details about Les Wexner’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein were revealed,” Carey said. “Epstein was an extremely evil man whose crimes destroyed countless innocent lives. In light of these revelations, I am donating all campaign funds from Mr. and Mrs. Wexner to organizations dedicated to preventing human trafficking and supporting victims.”
A spokesperson for Mr. Wexner declined to comment for this story.
The Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network, asked how other elected officials representing Columbus are leveraging past donations from Les and Abigail Wexner. The Dispatch reviewed available campaign finance records for past donations from the couple, which did not include other relatives.
Abigail Wexner also appears in Epstein’s files, but was never mentioned as a co-conspirator. Several local leaders are contributing separately to Les Wexner’s contribution while keeping Abigail Wexner’s contribution intact.
The Dispatch also does not review the political action committees the Wexners have given over the years because it is impossible to determine whether their PAC contributions went directly to specific politicians.
Columbus Mayor to keep Wexner donation
For decades, Wexner and his wife, Abigail, have wielded great influence in Ohio politics, particularly in Columbus. Wexner, a longtime Republican, declared himself an independent in 2018, but even before that, the suburban Columbus-based businessman had contributed to candidates in both parties. The Wexners have donated to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, to Ohio Republicans and Democrats running for U.S. Senate, and to local campaigns in Columbus and Franklin counties.
Over the past decade, the Wexners have been Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther’s most generous donors, sending his campaign $156,800, about 3% of his campaign contributions at the time. Of that amount, Les Wexner donated $91,800 and Abigail Wexner donated $65,000. The city’s campaign finance reporting system includes reports dating back to October 2016.
Mr. Ginther has not publicly discussed his plans to donate the Wexners’ donations. Asked at a Feb. 11 press conference, Ginther said he wasn’t thinking about it. He told the Dispatch in a Feb. 16 statement that Wexner has not been criminally charged.
“The crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and his associates are reprehensible and abhorrent,” Ginther said. “We demand that all victims of these heinous crimes be served justice and that their perpetrators be held accountable. We will continue to monitor the progress of these investigations, including Congressional hearings later this week that have not yet resulted in criminal charges.”
U.S. representatives on both sides of the aisle hand out Wexner donations
U.S. Rep. Beatty, D-Columbus, announced on February 13 that he has donated campaign funds from Les Wexner to local organizations that support survivors of sex trafficking and sexual abuse.
Les Wexner has donated $36,200 to Beatty’s campaign over the years, and Abigail Wexner has donated $29,800, according to Federal Election Commission data. A campaign spokesperson said Beatty is contributing money from Les Wexner, but not from Abigail Wexner.
“My thoughts are with the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking and abuse,” Beatty said in a statement. “Their courage to come forward demands our commitment to truth, accountability, and justice.”
Carey, a Republican, announced on February 14 that he would donate past campaign contributions from Wexner to charity. The Wexners contributed $13,400 to Carey’s congressional campaign, $10,100 from Les Wexner, and $3,300 from Abigail Wexner. A spokeswoman for Mr. Carey’s office did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on whether Mr. Carey gave money to Abigail Wexner.
Sens. Husted and Moreno and former Sen. Sherrod Brown respond to Wexler’s donation.
Former Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown attacked his political rival, Republican Sen. Jon Husted, for receiving more than $100,000 from Mr. Wexner over the years. In a Feb. 13 media release, the Brown campaign accused Husted of voting on a procedural vote in September to prevent the release of the Epstein files from proceeding. In November, Husted voted in favor of releasing the files with the consent of a majority of parliament.
“I voted to release the Epstein files,” Husted told the Dispatch on February 13. “I wanted the file to be transparent. I always wanted to protect innocent victims by making sure those who committed crimes were prosecuted.”
“He’s scheduled to testify before Congress next week, but I’m going to wait and see what the outcome is before I make a decision,” Husted said.
Over the years, Mr. Brown has received $10,200 in campaign fees from Abigail Wexner, but nothing from Les Wexner, according to Federal Election Commission data. The Dispatch asked the Brown campaign if it intended to part with past donations from Abigail Wexner, but the campaign did not respond to questions.
“Jon Husted received more than $116,000 directly from Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirators, 10 times more than any other sitting senator,” Brown spokeswoman Lauren Chow said in an email response to questions about Abigail Wexner’s donations. “He accepted the maximum contribution to his campaign last July, and just weeks later voted against a bipartisan effort to release the full Epstein file.”
Les Wexner donated $3,500 to Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno’s campaign in 2025, according to federal records. A spokesperson for Mr. Moreno said he would not donate the money.
Some politicians in Columbus and Franklin counties donate Wexner donations.
The Wexners have contributed $42,500 to the city council campaign of Mr. Hardin, the leader of the Columbus City Council, since the end of 2016, according to available city records. Most recently, Hardin told the media that he received what he called an “unsolicited check” from Wexner for $10,000 in 2025, which he donated to Columbus Promise, a scholarship program for Columbus City Schools graduates, in early January. Hardin announced he would donate an additional $10,000 that he received over the years from Les Wexner.
Hardin has not donated the $22,500 in donations he received over the years from Abigail Wexner.
Hardin released a statement on social media saying, “All I know about Mr. Epstein’s crimes and ties to Central Ohio are the disturbing revelations that are reported on the news every day.” “But for me, it’s simple. The public today doesn’t trust those in power, and we have to take that back. Anything that prevents the community from believing that I’m working for someone other than them is a distraction. I support the Congressional investigation in whatever direction it goes.”
Other current Columbus officials who have received donations from the Wexners over the years include City Attorney Zach Klein, who received $35,000, and City Councilman Emanuel Remy, who received $10,000, according to available city records.
Klein’s campaign has received $20,000 from Les Wexner and $15,000 from Abigail Wexner over the years, which he has not given up.
“We all want justice for the innocent victims and accountability for the perpetrators of these heinous crimes,” Klein told The Dispatch via text. “Mr. Wexner will have an opportunity on Wednesday, under oath to Congress, to address the concerns that many, including myself, have about his involvement in this investigation. I will look to what he has to say as I make my decision.”
Remy, who received $5,000 from Les Wexner and $5,000 from Abigail Wexner, said he would donate the $5,000 from Les Wexner to charity.
“I will donate the two unsolicited donations my campaign received from Mr. Les Wexner to charity, so there is no question that I will serve the people of Columbus first,” Remy told the Dispatch in a text message. “My values are, and continue to be, rooted in serving the people of Columbus, not my donors. At this time, it is unclear whether Abigail Wexner had anything to do with this matter. I believe people should be judged by their actions.”
State lawmakers also share Wexner donation plans
State Sen. Beth Liston of Dublin announced on Facebook over the weekend that she donated $1,000 in campaign contributions she received from Les Wexner in 2024 to local organizations that support young people affected by human trafficking. She said she was not surprised to receive a donation from Mr. Wexner, whom she had never met, because she was running to represent the Columbus suburb of New Albany.
State Sen. Michelle Reynolds (R-Winchester) announced in X over the weekend that she donated $8,000 she received from the Wexners for her campaign (including $7,000 from Les Wexner) to charities in her district that empower youth leaders and support families facing food insecurity.
“It is my sincere hope that federal law enforcement will continue to pursue justice and that those involved in Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Reynolds said in the post.
State government reporter Haley Bemiller contributed to this report.
Government and politics reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky. @LairdWrite.
