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.
Following the report, the Ohio Democratic Party issued a statement Friday through senior communications adviser Tony Wen.
“Jon Husted refuses to ban stock trading in Congress because he’s personally enriching himself while having access to insider information,” Wen said. “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.”
According to NBC 4 and financial disclosures, Husted has reported that his wife held Intel investments valued at up to $15,000. The party also pointed to a recent interview in which Husted acknowledged meeting with Intel regarding the status of the company’s Ohio manufacturing project.
The Ohio Democratic Party said Husted’s position on stock trading aligns with broader comments he has made on affordability issues. The party cited past remarks in which Husted disputed the existence of an affordability crisis and told Ohioans to “earn more” money, while criticizing what he described as a lack of work ethic.
Husted has not responded publicly to the Ohio Democratic Party’s statement.
