LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — Members of the Ohio Democratic Party gathered in Lima's Town Square on Tuesday to criticize Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jon Husted and call for accountability for victims connected to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
During the rally, speakers highlighted Husted's acceptance of more than $116,000 in campaign contributions from Ohio businessman Les Wexner, who has been linked to Epstein.
Speakers also said Husted voted against a defense bill that included an amendment to release files related to Epstein. Husted later voted in favor of releasing the documents during a standalone amendment in November, which passed unanimously.
Attendees said their focus was on seeking justice for victims of sexual abuse and increasing accountability among elected officials.
“Speaking as a victim, we just want accountability. We just want people that are responsible for what happened and especially to these young girls and women. What they went through and their horror and some have taken their lives and some's lives will never be recovered and I know how many years it took me to come to terms with my own abuse. It's not a political issue. It's not Republican Democrat. It's a moral issue right now. We owe it to victims of sexual assault everywhere," says Alice Donahue, Allen County Democratic Party.
“We need politicians that are willing to take hard stands. We need politicians that are willing to say I don't want money from people who are getting it in ill-gotten ways. We need people to pay attention. Not just the politicians but you and I. We need to pay attention to what these people are doing, whose name they are doing it in, who's funding what they're doing, and care enough that we make hard votes,” says Jeannine Jordan, Lima's 4th Ward councilwoman.
Democrat Sherrod Brown, Republican Jon Husted and Libertarian Bill Redpath are expected to face off in the November general election.
