Husted donation row intensifies
Ohio Senator Jon Husted is facing a fresh wave of criticism after federal campaign finance filings revealed his campaign accepted about $69,750 from political action committees and employees connected to some of the biggest technology and utility companies involved in the state’s booming data center industry.
As reported by Tiffin Ohio, the donations come from individuals and PACs tied to Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, American Electric Power, Duke Energy and Vistra. While the figure represents less than half of one percent of Husted’s reported $14.35 million campaign haul, the timing has put the spotlight back on his long-running relationship with the industry.
The issue has already become a major talking point in Husted’s Senate race against Democrat Sherrod Brown. Brown’s campaign has launched ads highlighting Husted’s support for a $43.5 million state sales tax exemption approved for Google’s New Albany data center project in 2019, alongside a local property tax abatement.
At the time, Husted defended the incentives, arguing they would attract investment, create jobs and establish central Ohio as a technology hub. He also argued that imposing sales tax could have driven Google to build elsewhere.
That explanation is doing little to calm critics online. A Reddit thread discussing the latest report quickly filled with angry reactions, with one of the most upvoted comments simply declaring, “Get rid of him.” Others echoed the sentiment by urging voters to remove Husted from office in November.
Online backlash grows as campaign cash faces scrutiny
Many commenters focused on the relatively modest size of the donations compared with the value of the incentives previously awarded.
“Taking $69k from the same industry you just gave a $43.5M break to still looks like a payoff no matter how you frame it,” one user wrote, expressing a perception shared by several participants in the discussion. Another added, “I’m always shocked by how little money it takes to buy a politician.”
Those comments reflect public frustration, not findings of wrongdoing. The campaign contributions disclosed in federal filings are legal, and corporate PACs are funded by voluntary employee contributions rather than company treasury funds.
Of course, not everyone in the discussion accepted the framing of the original report. Some argued that coverage of the Google incentives left out details about Payment instead of Taxes agreements and other local arrangements connected to the project, suggesting readers should consider the broader financial picture.
Meanwhile, Husted has recently tried to position himself as protecting Ohio consumers. Earlier this month, he introduced the Ratepayer Protection Act, which encourages states to require large electricity users, including data centers, to cover the costs of new power infrastructure instead of passing those expenses on to residential customers. The bill has not attracted any Senate cosponsors so far.
The controversy is unlikely to fade before Election Day. With Husted and Brown set to face off in November for Ohio’s Senate seat, the debate over data centers, tax incentives and campaign donations has become one of the defining battles of the race, while online calls to “Get rid of him” continue to spread across social media.
