Ohio Politicians Received Campaign Funds From Wexner

Multiple Ohio politicians received campaign contributions from Leslie Wexner, the Columbus-based billionaire and founder of L Brands, the parent company of Victoria’s Secret, according to a review of state and federal campaign finance records by WFMJ.¹ Wexner, 88, served as Jeffrey Epstein’s sole known financial management client for roughly two decades. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) has described Wexner as an alleged Epstein co-conspirator.¹

Wexner donated nearly $750,000 across at least 39 political campaigns or groups since 2019, the year FBI documents identified him as a possible co-conspirator in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.² Federal Election Commission records show the overwhelming majority of those contributions went to Republican candidates, though Wexner has given to politicians of both parties since the 1980s.²

The Wexner-Epstein Financial Relationship

Wexner employed Epstein as his personal financial adviser beginning in 1987, granted Epstein power of attorney over his finances, and transferred a $77 million Manhattan mansion at 9 East 71st St. to Epstein for $0, according to public records.¹ Epstein sold approximately $1.3 billion in stock through a trust tied to Wexner’s companies on the New York Stock Exchange, a figure Wexner later said he was unaware of.³

The FBI labeled Wexner a possible co-conspirator in an August 2019 internal document compiled days after Epstein died in custody.³ Wexner has never been charged with a crime. A Wexner legal representative has said the billionaire was informed in 2019 by an assistant U.S. attorney that he was “neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect.”¹

Wexner was subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee to testify about his relationship with Epstein. In a subsequent deposition, Wexner told lawmakers he was “duped” by Epstein and denied firsthand knowledge of the financier’s crimes.³

Politicians Scramble to Return Funds

In the days following the WFMJ report, several Ohio officeholders moved to shed Wexner’s contributions. U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, a Republican who received more than $175,000 from the Wexners over his career, directed his campaign to donate the money to charity.⁴ Husted’s decision drew added scrutiny because he voted to block the release of the Epstein files in September before supporting the Epstein Transparency Act when it passed the Senate unanimously in November.⁴

Democratic U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, who received $36,200 from Wexner since 2012, and Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Carey both announced they would donate Wexner contributions to organizations supporting trafficking victims.⁴ Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague donated $23,000 to Findlay Hope House, matching Wexner’s 2022 contributions. Ohio Auditor Keith Faber said he would donate $15,000 to law enforcement and victim-rights charities.⁴

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, who received the most of any politician at more than $150,000 from the Wexners since 2016, was noncommittal about returning the funds.² U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, a Republican, said he does not plan to return the $3,500 Wexner gave him, calling it an unsolicited donation.⁴

At least 31 political groups and candidates who received Wexner donations since 2019 had not announced any action as of mid-February.²

The report comes as multiple states examine contributions from individuals named in the 3.5 million pages of Epstein-related documents released under the Epstein Transparency Act, signed Nov. 19, 2025. A senator in another state faced scrutiny after receiving a donation and subsequently blocking transparency legislation.

References

1. Ohio politicians received campaign funds from Wexner - WFMJ
2. List: Who Ohio’s richest man, Les Wexner, has donated to - NBC4 WCMH-TV
3. Billionaire Les Wexner tells lawmakers he was ‘conned’ by Jeffrey Epstein - NBC News
4. Ohio politicians scramble to return campaign donations tied to Wexner - ABC6