On April 26, 2025 WOSU Public Media reported, “Columbus campaign reports show donations from councilmembers, out-of-state residents.”
When questioned about the majority of his campaign contributors coming from of out-of-state, Columbus City Council candidate Jesse Vogel stated:
"What we're doing is trying to garner support of individuals who are excited about the potential of our campaign collective to make collective change rather than from a handful of politicians who are working to maintain the status quo.”
Although WOSU “estimated about half of his contributors came from out of state,” after a thorough review of his Annual and Pre-Primary finance reports, 56 percent of his contributors were from out of state and if you include contributors from outside of Central Ohio, but in Ohio, that number jumps to 60 percent.
The WOSU article also includes some “prominent names” as contributors to Mr. Vogel’s campaign. Two prominent newsworthy names not mentioned are those of Dan McCarthy and Laurel Dawson who donated $250 each to Vogel’s campaign.
Both Mr. McCarthy and Ms. Dawson’s names are well connected to House Bill 6, the largest bribery scandal in Ohio History.
Ohio Capital Journal (OCP) reported, “While McCarthy was a lobbyist for First Energy, he started the dark money group Partners for Progress that would serve as a conduit for tens of millions that fueled the corrupt bailout.”
McCarthy also served as Governor DeWine’s legislative director. According to a federal affidavit, “FirstEnergy and associates wired $20 million to McCarthy’s former money group and it forwarded $10 million of that to Generation Now.” McCarthy helped lobby for the passage of HB 6. First Energy secretly paid $60 million to dark money group Generation Now that was controlled by Larry Householder. Generation Now pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in 2021.
Longtime DeWine insider Laurel Dawson currently serves as Counselor to the Governor and was DeWine’s chief of staff when the HB 6 scandal dropped.
Her husband, Mike Dawson worked as a lobbyist and consultant for First Energy. OCP reported that in 2019, Sam Randazzo who was a consultant for First Energy was appointed as chair of the PUCO by DeWine.
Randazzo informed Ms. Dawson in January of 2019 of a $4.3 million payment (bribe) to him that was negotiated with First Energy officials. “Householder and four others were arrested in July 2020. But it wasn’t until the following November — when the FBI searched Randazzo’s condo — that Dawson finally told the governor about the $4.3 million payout.”
Ms. Dawson and Dan McCarthy’s connection with the First Energy bailout scandal is indisputable.
Are these the type of supporters that Mr. Vogel is aligning himself with while claiming to distance himself from the status quo?
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*See attached Jesse Vogel Campaign Finance Report, Pages 3 & 4 dates 2/3/2025 and 3/2/2025
