Several Ohio politicians donate money given to their campaigns by Les and Abigail Wexner

Leslie and Abigail Wexner have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Ohio Republicans and Democrats in the last decade, but now some elected officials are turning their backs on that cash.

In the last week, several elected officials have said they will donate money given to their campaigns by the Wexners to charity. This includes Congressmembers Joyce Beatty and Mike Carey; State Senators Beth Liston and Michele Reynolds; Franklin County Commissioner John O'Grady; Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin and Columbus City Councilmember Emmanuel Remy.

The New Albany billionaire is facing scrutiny for his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Les Wexner was named as a "co-conspirator" in the FBI's 2019 sex trafficking investigation into Epstein.

Les Wexner has not been charged criminally.

The Wexners' political influence has spanned both parties for decades, with both Les and Abigail Wexner contributing to Republicans and Democrats at all levels of government. The two political action committees, or PACs, that the Wexners primarily contribute to also gave a lot of money to these politicians.

This includes the New Albany PAC and the Limited Brands PAC. The New Albany PAC was one of several development groups that helped finance the campaign for the Columbus bond package that passed in November.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther received the most out of any politician from the Wexners at more than $150,000 since 2016. Ginther was noncommittal when asked by WOSU at a press conference last week whether he'd return the money.

Ginther said he'd never been asked the question before and he'd have to think about it.

"What folks have accused different people of involving Jeffrey Epstein, they're pretty awful and disgusting and unacceptable and criminal actions. But I'm not aware of anything that would implicate Mr. Wexner in any of that criminal activity," Ginther said.

When asked by WOSU at a city public hearing Thursday, Hardin said that he donated $10,000 to The Columbus Promise, a city led-initiative that gives Columbus City Schools students free tuition at Columbus State Community College.

Hardin has received more than $40,000 since 2016 from both Wexners.

Franklin County Commissioner John O'Grady told the Ohio political blog The Rooster that he would donate $5,000 to the charity Our Brothers Keepers. Since 2016, he's received a combined total of $12,000 from both of the Wexners.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno is so far the only politician who has refused to donate money he received from Les Wexner.

Moreno received $3,500 last year from Les Wexner. Moreno's office deferred to comments made to the media outlet NOTUS that Moreno would not be returning the funds, and said that the campaign contribution was unsolicited.

Beatty announced she'd be donating the money she received in a statement issued late Friday.

Carey announced in a social media post on Saturday he'd be donating an unspecified amount. Carey received more than $13,000 from the Wexners since he first ran for office in 2020.

Unlike their colleagues in the U.S. Senator, Carey and Beatty voted to release the Epstein files. Both Moreno and U.S. Sen. Jon Husted did not.

"After I voted to release the entirety of the Epstein files, disturbing details emerged regarding Les Wexner’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein was a profoundly evil man whose crimes destroyed countless innocent lives. In light of those revelations, I am donating all campaign contributions from the Wexners to organizations aimed at preventing human trafficking and supporting victims," Carey wrote on X.

Former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown accepted a $2,700 campaign contributions from Abigail Wexner in 2016. When asked, Brown's campaign didn't address this contribution and instead attacked Husted, who Brown is running against this year.

The campaign said Husted has taken more than $100,000 from Wexner since the early 2000s.

“(Husted) accepted the maximum allowable contribution to his campaign from (Wexner) last July and just a few weeks later voted against a bipartisan effort to fully release the Epstein files," Brown campaign spokesperson Lauren Chou said in a statement.

Remy told WOSU in a statement Monday he will donate money from Les Wexner. Remy said it is unclear to him whether Abigail Wexner had any involvement in this matter, and he believes people should be judged on their own actions.

“I am donating the two unsolicited contributions my campaign received from Les Wexner to charity so there is no question that I serve the people of Columbus first. My values are, and always will be, rooted in serving the people of Columbus, not donors," Remy said.

Reynolds announced her decision on social media Saturday. She said she was recently made aware of contributions to her campaign from both of the Wexners. Those contributions totaled $8,100.

"As more information has come to light, and as the distraction surrounding this has continued, our campaign has decided to donate any funds received from the Wexners to charities that empower youth leaders and help families facing food insecurity. It is my sincere hope that federal law enforcement continues to seek justice, and that anyone associated with the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Reynolds said.

Liston said in a post on social media she received an unsolicited $1,000 contribution from Les Wexner in 2024. Liston said she donated those funds to a local organization meeting the needs of youth impacted by and at risk for human trafficking.

"Although I hadn’t met with Wexner, I wasn’t shocked to get the check. I was running to be his State Senator and represent New Albany. Sometimes when an election outcome is clear, wealthy people in the area send donations," Liston said.

Gov. Mike DeWine, Sen. Jon Husted, Franklin County Commissioners Kevin Boyce and Erica Crawley and City Attorney Zach Klein didn't respond to a request for comment.

WOSU did not reach out to Congressman Troy Balderson, Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano, Ohio Speaker of the House Matt Huffman, Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, Ohio Auditor Keith Faber, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost or Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague.