Ohio – The battle for Ohio’s Senate seat is taking a far more aggressive turn after Democrats launched a blistering attack ad targeting Republican Sen. Jon Husted over campaign donations linked to billionaire businessman Les Wexner, whose past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein has remained under public scrutiny for years.
The ad, backed by Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown’s campaign committee, immediately injected one of the country’s most toxic political subjects into what is already shaping up to be one of the most expensive and bitter Senate races of the 2026 cycle.
The commercial wastes no time delivering its central accusation.
“Of all 535 members of Congress, who’s taken the most money from associates of Jeffrey Epstein?” the attack ad opened. “Jon Husted, that’s who.”
The message then escalates further, accusing the Ohio Republican of accepting major financial support from one of Epstein’s longtime associates while also voting against releasing Epstein-related files.
“Husted’s taken over $116,000 from one of Epstein’s closest friends and co-conspirators,” the ad claimed. “And last year took a maximum donation from him just weeks before voting to block the release of the Epstein files.”
The ad closes with a dramatic side-by-side image of Husted and Epstein before asking viewers: “Jon Husted, who’s he really working for?”
Donations and the Epstein controversy collide
At the center of the controversy is Les Wexner, the former CEO of Victoria’s Secret parent company L Brands. Wexner has long faced questions over his past association with Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
In February 2026, newly released FBI documents from the Department of Justice reportedly identified Wexner as a co-conspirator tied to Epstein investigations. However, Wexner has never been criminally charged in connection with Epstein.
Campaign finance records show Husted received roughly $117,000 connected to Wexner across 21 separate contributions made between 2001 and 2025. Included in that total was a $3,500 donation made in July 2025, shortly before Husted voted against releasing Epstein-related files.
Still, the numbers themselves have become part of the political fight.
According to Snopes, around $37,000 of the money cited in the ad did not go directly to Husted personally, but instead flowed through joint committees connected to both Husted and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
Wexner has also publicly denied attempting to influence Husted’s vote. During a congressional deposition, he stated he never lobbied the senator regarding the Epstein files or any related issue.
Even so, Democrats appear determined to keep the spotlight on the connection as they try to weaken Husted in a state that has become increasingly difficult for Democrats in recent election cycles.
A high-stakes comeback fight
The timing of the ad reflects how important Ohio has become for both parties ahead of November.
Husted only entered the Senate in January 2025 after being appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to replace JD Vance when Vance became vice president. That appointment instantly turned Husted into a major Republican target for Democrats hoping to chip away at GOP control of the Senate.
Meanwhile, Sherrod Brown is attempting an unusual political comeback after losing his 2024 reelection campaign to Republican Bernie Moreno. Despite that defeat, Brown remains one of the best-known Democrats in Ohio politics and continues to hold strong support among union voters and working-class Democrats.
The race is expected to attract massive spending from outside groups, national party organizations, and super PACs as both parties view Ohio as a critical battleground.
Axios congressional reporter Andrew Solender described Brown’s latest attack ad as “a doozy of an ad,” a sign of how quickly the campaign is moving into deeply personal territory.
Democrat Sherrod Brown out with a doozy of an ad tying his opponent, GOP Sen. Jon Husted, to Jeffrey Epstein (via @AdImpact_Pol): pic.twitter.com/etrZ24MqZp
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) May 8, 2026
The Epstein angle also reflects a broader trend in modern campaigns, where candidates increasingly try to tie opponents to larger scandals, even when no criminal charges exist directly against the politician involved.
For Republicans, the challenge now becomes containing potential damage while avoiding giving the ad even more attention. For Democrats, the strategy is clear: force uncomfortable headlines, keep ethics questions alive, and make Husted spend valuable time defending himself instead of focusing entirely on the economy, immigration, or national Democratic weaknesses.
With months still remaining before Election Day, Ohio’s Senate race is already showing signs of becoming one of the ugliest and most emotionally charged political fights in the country.
