OH-SEN: Jon Husted won't testify in person for FirstEnergy trial, but he's flying to Ohio for a fundraiser.
A judge ordered Wednesday that U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) must testify in the FirstEnergy bribery trial. Lawyers claimed he cannot attend in person because he needs to be in Washington D.C. due to the ongoing war with Iran. However, he traveled to Ohio to attend a fundraiser on Friday.
ummit County Judge Susan Baker Ross, who is overseeing the trial against former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and lobbyist Michael Dowling, said Husted will testify via video call on Wednesday from 8:30-11:00 a.m. EST.
On Wednesday, Dowling’s defense attorney Steven Grimes asked Ross to allow Husted to testify via video, arguing the senator needs to be in Washington D.C. because of President Donald Trump’s war with Iran. The next day, Husted was spotted heading to the Greene County Ohio Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner in Fairborn, Ohio. Tickets for the event range from $47 to $1,033.
A report from News 5 Cleveland’s Morgan Trau showed video of the senator flying out of Washington on Thursday evening. Husted’s spokesperson Josh Eck told News 5 that the senator’s team never said he needed to remain in Washington for the war, and that they offered multiple dates for him to testify in person.
https://heartlandsignal.com/2026/03/07/jon-husted-wont-testify-in-person-for-firstenergy-trial-but-hes-flying-to-ohio-for-a-fundraiser/