Tag: Leslie Wexner

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The billionaire CEO of the Ohio-based company behind Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works is no longer a Republican. L Brands founder Leslie Wexner said at a Sept. 13 gathering on civility that he's become an independent. The Columbus Dispatch reports Wexner said he "won't support this nonsense in the Republican Party." One of the country's top political donors, Wexner said he'd been a Republican since his college days at Ohio State University. Wexner proclaimed last year he'd "just had it" after Republican President Donald Trump said there was blame on "both sides" for deadly violence at an August 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. He vowed to demand civility from politicians seeking his support. Wexner's decision followed a stop in Columbus by former Democratic President Barack Obama. ——— Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Politics is an expensive business in Ohio, like everywhere else. Since January 2017, state Republican candidates and committees have received $57.7 million worth of political contributions, while state Democratic candidates and committees have received $29.5 million, according to records filed with the Ohio Secretary of State. People make political donations for all kinds of reasons, said Catherine Turcer, who has long studied money in politics in Ohio. Some major donors have a more general commitment to a political party or a broad ideological cause. But often, they have more specific goals, such as passing or stopping a specific piece of legislation, or creating a regulatory climate that’s generally favorable to their business interests, she said. This husband-and-wife duo have given more than $3.3 million to candidates and political groups since 2017, state and federal records show. Politicians the couple has supported include Mike DeWine, the state attorney general who’s running for governor, Rep. Bob Gibbs, State Rep. Keith Faber, who’s running for Ohio auditor and Anthony Gonzalez, the former football star and congressional candidate. Wright and Rastin in February also made a pair of $200,000-plus donations to the Republican National Congressional Committee, the campaign arm for congressional Republicans. (Mrs. Wexner gave $2.5 million to the group, while Mr. Wexner gave $300,000.) They also gave $150,000 to the Ohio Republican Party.