U.S. Sen. Jon Husted will donate campaign contributions he has received over the years from billionaire Les Wexner, his campaign confirmed this week — days after renewed scrutiny over his vote blocking consideration of releasing documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
“Senator Husted has directed the campaign to donate Wexner’s money to charity,” campaign communications director Tyson Shepard said in statements provided to media outlets. Shepard declined to specify how much will be donated or which charities would receive the funds.
Campaign finance records previously reviewed by TiffinOhio.net show Husted accepted $116,892 from Wexner between 2001 and 2025 through multiple committees, including his state campaign accounts, a joint gubernatorial committee, and his current U.S. Senate campaign.
The most recent contribution, $3,500, was made July 3, 2025, to Husted’s Senate campaign — just two months before he voted on September 10, 2025 to block a bipartisan Senate amendment that would have directed the Attorney General to publicly release documents related to Epstein.
The donation announcement follows criticism from former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is challenging Husted in the 2026 election. Brown’s campaign previously stated that Husted accepted more than $100,000 from Wexner over the course of his political career and voted against advancing the file-release amendment weeks after receiving the July 2025 contribution.
Wexner has not been charged with a crime. His name appears in documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice in recent months, including an August 2019 FBI internal document that referenced him as a possible “co-conspirator” in the Epstein investigation. A legal representative for Wexner has previously stated that federal prosecutors informed his counsel in 2019 that he was neither a co-conspirator nor a target and that he cooperated with investigators.
Wexner is scheduled to appear for a congressional deposition Feb. 18 regarding his ties to Epstein, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
When confronted by reporters in September 2025 about the Epstein files, Husted declined to engage with the topic. According to The Bulwark, when a journalist presented materials related to Trump and Epstein to Husted on September 9, 2025, Husted said while “staring at the ceiling”: “I’ve got four minutes before I have to be in the chair [to preside over the Senate]. So I gotta run.”
The incident occurred one day before Husted’s vote to block the release of Epstein-related documents.
In November 2025, Husted characterized the Epstein files as primarily a Democratic issue. “The more we learn about the transparency of the Epstein files, the more it shows that Democrats are the ones that had the strong relationships with them,” Husted said on Fox Business’ “The Evening Edit” on November 19, 2025.
When asked about Trump not commenting on the Epstein files, Husted suggested on NewsNation November 13, 2025 that the president was focused on other priorities: “I think he’s been focused on trying to get the government reopened and trade deals and all of the things that will help make Americans’ lives better. This has been an ongoing story. I’m sure he’ll address it when the time is needed.”
Federal records also show Wexner contributed $3,500 in 2025 to the campaign of U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno. Moreno has not announced plans to donate the contribution.
Federal filings show Brown has not received contributions from Les Wexner.
Husted, a Republican appointed to the Senate in January 2025, is running to complete the remainder of the term through November 2026.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Husted would donate the full $116,892. The error has been corrected. His campaign has not specified how much will be donated or which charities will receive the funds.
