Husted took donations from Epstein ‘co-conspirator’ Les Wexner, then voted to block file release

Ohio Republican Senator Jon Husted has accepted $116,892 from Les Wexner between 2001 and 2025, according to Federal Election Commission and Ohio Secretary of State campaign finance records reviewed by TiffinOhio.net.

Wexner, the billionaire founder of Victoria’s Secret parent company L Brands, was publicly identified this week as a “co-conspirator” of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in FBI documents.

Husted took $3,500 from Wexner as recently as July 3, 2025 — just two months before voting 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 financial relationship spans Husted’s entire political career, from his time in the Ohio legislature through his current role as U.S. Senator. Campaign finance records show Husted is the only senator up for re-election in 2026 who accepted contributions from Wexner during the 2025-2026 election cycle.

FBI labeled Wexner as Epstein co-conspirator

On February 10, 2026, the Department of Justice released previously redacted names from internal FBI documents following pressure from Representatives Ro Khanna (D-California) and Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky). An August 15, 2019 FBI internal document from the bureau’s Criminal Investigative Division included a reference to Wexner as a co-conspirator of Epstein.

“The Justice Department has released the names of three people the FBI once called co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein after lawmakers complained that the names had been improperly withheld,” NBC News reported February 10, 2026. “The Justice Department unredacted parts of an Aug. 15, 2019, FBI internal document from the bureau’s Criminal Investigative Division — which included a reference to billionaire Les Wexner as a co-conspirator.”

The document lists eight people as co-conspirators, including Wexner, Ghislaine Maxwell (who was convicted of sex trafficking charges), modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, and Epstein’s longtime secretary Lesley Groff. Four other names remain redacted.

According to the released documents, a separate FBI email from August 2019 stated there was “limited evidence” regarding Wexner’s involvement, though he was served a subpoena during the investigation.

A legal representative for Wexner stated that “the Assistant U.S. Attorney told Mr. Wexner’s legal counsel in 2019 that Mr. Wexner was neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect. Mr. Wexner cooperated fully by providing background information on Epstein and was never contacted again.”

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