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Officials distance themselves from Ohio's richest man as he's asked about the Epstein files.

And a lawmaker continues his drive to put the brakes on traffic cameras.

That's this weekend.

The state of Ohio.

welcome to the state of Ohio.

I'm Karen, counselor.

The connection between Ohio's wealthiest man and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has dominated the news this week as officials gave away campaign money and a congressional committee came to suburban Columbus for a deposition.

Billionaire Leslie Wexner, who created his fortune and founding the limited and L brands and acquiring retailers such as Victoria's Secret and Bath and Body Works, has long contributed to federal, state and local officials campaigns, mostly to Republicans, but also to Democrats.

Many officials are reporting donating Wexner campaign money to charity.

Wexner does not appear to have donated to either the campaigns for Governor of Republican The Lake Ramaswamy or Democrat doctor Amy Acton, according to the secretary of State's website.

But Senate President Rob McCauley Ramaswamy is running mate got $5,000 from Wexner in 2024.

I think every senator can make their own decision as to what they want to do.

And I personally, there's a possibility in the past, I think I have received contributions in the past.

I've never met the guy.

I don't know.

I don't even know if I wanted to.

So, you know, but at the same time, I think every member should be held accountable and still.

Wexner and his wife, Abigail gave $20,000 to House Speaker Matt Hoffman, who's the former Senate president between 2021 and 2022.

I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to talk about campaigns and politics inside the state Capitol.

So you'll have to catch me in a restaurant downtown Lima sometime.

About that.

After House session, Hoffman was again asked about Wexner, whose name appears on several buildings at Ohio State.

I'm not sitting up at Ohio State University.

Frankly, I don't know what les Wexner that's his name, right.

Les Wexner does for Ohio State University.

You know, we have an opportunity, as you know, in the Senate to, to vote on these.

But if the governor nominates them, and so, I mean, I really think it's a question for them to, to answer.

I think, you have this horrible situation which somehow he's involved with, but not criminally charged.

I guess in some ways it's like some of the other things we've talked about.

Well, there's something going to happen is somebody's going to call for an indictment is and, you know, we spent, several centuries in this country of criminal jurisprudence relying on, the law and the facts.

And so I guess I'd like to see all of that.

How that exactly is going to happen.

If he's going to be criminally charged, who's going to do that?

What is the charge going to be?

If it's Democrats in Congress, then what are they going to do about this?

So I guess taking that one isolated piece out of that, you know, obviously it's their decision.

And in some sense, I don't feel like not being in the room, not knowing who the people are, not knowing what they know.

It's it's probably inappropriate for me to be hectoring them about that.

House Minority Leader Danny Isaacson did not get Wexner donations, but like Hoffman, he was cautious about talking politics in the state House.

But he did have some thoughts.

I hesitate to get too much into politics here, as I'm sure the lawyer in me is trying to find the line to figure out what's, what I'm allowed to talk about in the state House.

I'll say this I think.

There has been a reckoning across the country with what has become known as the Epstein class of people, who felt that they were above the law.

And when you have people who think they are outside of the law and do horrific things, if we don't hold them accountable, then the system proves them right.

And we cannot afford to let people who were participated in these horrific acts and these crimes go away, go off scot free.

There has to be accountability and that accountability should be up and down their interactions.

Right.

So that includes politicians who refused to hold them accountable by releasing the files.

And we should be asking, why didn't you vote to share those files with the American public?

Senate Minority Leader Nikki Antonio also did not get Wexner money, but shared a similar view with Isaacson.

I think, legislators who have called on OSU to, to take a look at their relationship.

I think that's appropriate for them to call for that.

Look, I think everyone who is in the Epstein files should be held to the standard of look at your relationship with that person, and, they should be held accountable.

I mean, in other countries right now, people are resigning or being asked to resign from very high level, powerful positions.

I think the same thing should be happening in this country as well.

And so I think it's appropriate to to ask OSU to re look at, that relationship.

Sure, sure.

That's appropriate.

The five Republicans elected to the statewide executive offices all received campaign cash from Wexner.

Governor Mike DeWine received more than $26,500, but his campaign account was closed in 2023.

Attorney General Dave Yost received $5,000 and donated it.

He suspended his campaign for governor in May.

Auditor Keith Faber, who's running for AG, donated the $15,000 in contributions he received from Wexner.

Treasurer Robert Sprague is running for secretary of state, donated the $23,000 he got from Wexner.

Secretary of state Frank Larose got $12,500 from the Wexner between 2022 and last year.

He is running for order.

There was no response to repeated requests for information from his campaign.

Both of Ohio's Republican U.S.

senators got donations from Wexner.

Senator Bernie Marino received $3,500 last year.

His office has said he will not be returning the unsolicited donation.

Senator John Houston, who's running for election to that seat, received over $30,000 from the Wexner since 2023.

His campaign has said he's directed the money to be donated, but did not say how much or where to the 88 year old.

Wexner has not been charged with any crimes in connection with Epstein.

Five Democratic members of the U.S.

House Oversight Committee deposed Wexner at his New Albany estate on Wednesday.

His ties to Epstein go back to the 1980s, but Wexner has said he cut off contact.

In 2007, Wexner told the committee he was naive and foolish and was conned by Epstein, but the members were doubtful.

Here's Congressman Steve Lynch, it may be a question as to whether less Wexner was involved in the crimes directly.

But there is no question in my mind, in my mind, given the evidence so far, that less Wexner do about this and failed to stop and gave Epstein license and the ability to commit these crimes.

Wexner said in a prepared statement that he's, quote, been the subject of outrageous, untrue statements and, quote, state lawmakers continue to discuss whether and how to regulate speed and red light cameras that around 15 communities are using, both to make streets safer but also to make money.

Republican Senator Tom Payton has been in a long time battle with traffic cameras.

I talked with him this week.

There are about 15 communities that use traffic cameras.

The argument has always been the traffic cameras make roads safer and free up police resources to do other work.

And they bring in big money for communities that need it.

Though the amount that they now get is deducted from the local government fund, because of a, I was it the budget in 2020 bill size amendment.

Yeah.

Yeah yeah, yeah.

And so why have you been so against traffic cameras?

Well, first of all, the number 15 is a guess by the state.

Recently there was a story on, one of the stations in Cleveland that the mayor of, Newburgh Heights, who's got one of the most significant traffic cameras because they're right on 77 and, the town of the town of 2700 people taken $4 million in in revenue.

But he's now since signed up 19 as the agent for these cutting these companies.

And the TV reports show that just by one of the cities, he was able personally to make $1 million.

So I often ask him, do you know how many traffic cameras in Ohio?

And they said, no.

I said, nobody knows.

And that's really the truth.

One of the bills we did was to make him be licensed.

Majority of the traffic cameras Australia.

Red flicks, I think, has to be the largest.

But New Zealand has some, England has some, Switzerland has some.

I think the largest in the United States is in Arizona.

But at the end of the day, all 40% minimum of the money is leaving the state of Ohio.

And, the you know, what it boils down to is, these traffic cameras, first of all, they are enforcing state traffic laws that all of the other law enforcement officers that are authorized to do that take an oath to do what they're going to do here.

You have a private company out of state, out of country that are putting up cameras, taking the pictures, producing the pictures, then producing the tickets and submitting the tickets to the individuals.

Now they have to write the check to the police department, and then they take their 60% and mail the 40% back for that's all that the local police do.

And I just again, we want everybody to follow traffic laws.

We we don't want people speeding.

We want people willing to stop signs.

But to get this in the mail, 30 to 45 days later, it's nothing to do with safety, you know?

I mean, if somebody's driving like crazy.

They're either going to hurt themselves or tragically hurt somebody else.

And we I'm just I believe police officers are high patrol in Cuyahoga County, where I come from.

We have 58 different police organizations, not counting the highway patrol.

That's more than enough to be able to control the traffic.

The bill that you've proposed about licensing cameras, you're talking about $100,000 license for each camera, $5,000 a month for monthly calibration, and 8% of the funds raised directed to the state's PTSD fund.

Yes.

Why not just require the community?

I mean, first of all, does that just completely take some small communities out of the possibility of even operating troop traffic?

No, I again, one of the things that was introduced two years ago about deducting the local government fund, a city like Newburgh Heights, their local government funds $98,000.

So they want to give a $4 million, or they want to give up 98,000.

That's a pretty simple decision to make.

And, as if there's such a small city that, and that's general, what you'll have is a lot of small communities trying to, again, cash cow.

I really admired the Garfield Heights mayor several years ago when he put cameras in because, look, I'm not kidding anybody.

It's not about.

It's all about money.

We need the money.

And he was.

I admired the candor.

Why not require those cities to run their own traffic camera programs or use a contractor in state?

Is.

That's just not an option.

Well, there's no in-state contractor, but, if they wanted to use drones, for example, and film their own tickets and do that, I'm absolutely all for that.

You know, it's not again.

And I think that would be a great option.

The city's police departments would have to do a little bit more.

They already have most small have drones, and they can use that, for traffic jams other than to keep from doing it.

But it kind of goes back to the emphasis of why in the world are we allowing a private entity to enforce the state revised code as regards to traffic laws?

You know, and I just think that there's just something that doesn't go down well and, you know, just for an idea.

So we have a we have an idea how many traffic cameras are in here because as the earlier report you said shows, the state Department of Taxation sees AR 15 out there.

There's many, many, many more than 15, as they say.

They pointed out that, you know, the individual mayor in this community went out and got 19 other communities.

So, it's a lot more on the end because of that, because, you know, in another bill, we'll talk about, you know, about cities should be able to vote on them.

We had in the United States, 46 cities went to vote, you know, on traffic cameras and, including Cleveland and, 91% of the time they voted them out, you know?

So I like to think that if the public wants to have an opportunity to say, what do you think of these cameras that take a ticket, take a picture, and you get a ticket 30 or 45 days later, you think that is, responsible?

You think that's good?

Good public policy.

And and then once in 14 of those cities, the 46 cities were in Ohio gives you an idea of how prolific Ohio is as far as these cameras can be.

Looking at is a fertile set because there are no licensing fees, there are no ability to calibrate.

Highway patrol will calibrate their radar equipment at the beginning of every single shift, and these camera companies, I've never seen someone up in the pole trying to calibrate it and find out what it is.

So and the high patrol has said, we can do it for you.

We'll do it.

And so that fee for the $5,000 a month to calibrate it, if they're going to rate, you know, $700,000 for the tickets, you know, let him spend five grand to make sure they're back and make sure that 73 mile an hour, is it really 68?

Last year's transportation budget bans counties and townships from using traffic cameras.

You have communities that say, hey, they have home rule authority.

They should be able to run their own traffic camera programs.

Why do you disagree with that?

It's a totally disagree.

I just think that the voters should have a chance to vote for for example, in Cuyahoga County to pay for the sports stadiums.

We gave them the ability to vote for those, the, syntax and beer and alcohol.

Now they want us to we offered in the budget.

We said, okay, we'll let you double it.

Well, now the county exactly wants a triple.

It, but we, the state have to give the county the permission to do that.

So it's kind of very similar that we're given the state permission to the cities and, you know, to go forward and say, okay, everybody, what do you think about speed cameras?

I think it's telling that 91% of the time that it's gone to the voters, they said no.

And in Ohio, 14 times it went in front of the voters.

One time it passed in East Cleveland when the Cleveland the East Cleveland police officers went door to door, which is a violation of the Hatch Act, by the way, and the Little Hatch Act.

And so they were telling the people, that we I could have a police department if you don't vote for these tax and that even passed just by a few percent, you know, even with those with those threats.

So I just would like to see, the voters have a chance to say, you're my police department, you're my law enforcement authority, you know?

And if you're going to put this upon us, I think you should at least ask what we think about it.

You've been going against traffic cameras for a very long time.

There was one year that you proposed seven bills on traffic cameras.

Do you have these two right now?

Are there any other things that you are thinking about proposing or that you want to see enacted when it comes to traffic cameras?

Well, yeah, I often and I didn't do it again this year, but I think that a city like Glendale, Ohio, they have no fire department.

They call Cleveland Fire, they call Cleveland EMS, they send their children to Cleveland Public Schools, but they want to have a police department.

If you all, for many, many years, they were on 71 for 47 years.

And a whole lot of people smarter than I tried to get them off 71 because there was such a nuisance, hiding under the bridge, which forever reason the lights above it were always shot up by a baby, and we don't know who did it.

It's well known that stretch of 71 and Lindale.

Yeah, but you know, since 2011, they haven't been on the road.

One day I did a piece of legislation that simply said, if you don't have at least 150 residents, you can't have a mayor's court.

Now, their tickets had to go to Bears Court, and they found out that every ticket by the time Lindale permits court charged them back for the cost of the court and their portion of the fine that they got to keep, they were losing money on every ticket.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than smart, but we got them off 71.

But now with the camera, the one camera that they have in that little town that, they raised over a million for, you know, without lifting a finger.

You know, I want to ask you about, some successes that you've seen here.

One of them was the bill that you proposed to ban traffic ticket quotas.

It passed unanimously.

It went into effect in September, but there were a lot of police departments that said we don't use ticket quotas.

So has this bill had an effect, do you think?

Well, we first of all, the bill was brought to us by the Fraternal Order of Police.

And I think everybody I shouldn't say, I think the vast majority of people in Ohio, especially if they got a ticket, would tell the policeman or, I hope you're hitting your quota and you hit your quota.

And, but and again, we want people to drive the speed limit.

We want people not to be pulled over.

But if it's in a circumstance like that, you know, where you have a ten ticket, an eight quota, you've got seven tickets, you got a half hour, you shift, you go to that one street that, you know, a 1030 night, they're all going to go to the service and you knock off three, you know, stop sign tickets and hit your ten where if you could be another part of the city where you're just in trouble around 10 or 11:00, maybe some young people kind of grainy.

You want to make sure that everything stays calm.

And, so it's one of those things that couldn't you put up a traffic camera on that, on that intersection?

Well, that that would be probably what they would come back and say.

But I think that, we only heard from one police chief that objected to it.

And, as I said, it's, you know, they might say a police chief will go out and say, hey, we want somebody on the corner of Broad and Vine because it seems like there's been a lot of, you know, accidents or there's been a lot of speeding where people are complaining.

So you can actually instruct the officers to go out there and lives a place like Cleveland.

Others, you have traffic departments.

Well, their their job is to do traffic and write tickets.

But again, not a specific number.

You know, it's like you're going to be rewarded if you write 25.

Yeah, you get an extra day or something like that.

But I think the fact that it passed unanimously in both chambers and the governor was quick to sign it and, you know, again, this is something that police wanted.

I think they felt that if their if their job performance or was going to be based on, their, their the merit of how many tickets they write, that's not the barometer.

I think most people that get into law enforcement are looking to do.

And also in last year's Christmas Tree bill, in December, one of the items that was attached to it was a $40 million fund for PTSD for law enforcement officers.

Another thing that you've talked about and and advocated for for a long time, 2020, we got it passed out, with bipartisan support.

Again, we were very happy about that.

But they said it can't be part of workers comp, so you'll have to have a separate fund.

And then of course a separate fund.

Where are you going to fund it from.

And so again, that my idea of, you know, with the traffic cameras that, you know, we license them, we make sure they're calibrated, and 8% of the fees that they're collecting would stay in Ohio, and that would be the funding source for PTSD.

But now, they're using marijuana taxes.

This idea was born out of conversation with the Ethiopian, the Chamber of Commerce, and, some other organizations here.

That which I thought, hey, if it's that can go well, we'll worry about where that other 8% goes.

There's never a shortage of other good places.

Maybe it goes for, for example, bulletproof vest.

I never knew this until a few years ago.

But they have a less they have a life expectancy.

They only last 5 or 6 years, you know.

So if you got a police officer with a 12 year old, you know, but his little town can't afford it, maybe we set up a program or something like that.

We'll find a way to spend if if that bill passes that 8%.

But it's astounding to think of the tens of millions of dollars that leave the state of Ohio every year to go to Australia, to go to New Zealand.

They're not paying taxes on that money at all.

That's just for them pure profit.

And as they say in those city halls with those mayors sitting back, you know, they say these are the tickets we mailed out to Joe Bag of Donuts and this guy and that guy.

And so when you get that, you know, $225 check, just make sure you meals are 40%.

And so, you know, the the accounting guy says we've got 1000 tickets in and we got, you know, $3 million.

We'll give 40% to this company overseas.

I don't think anybody has an idea, but this whole scam is going on.

And finally, speaking of money, the capital budget, is coming forward.

What's the latest on that?

Well, surprisingly, it's coming forward because we were told all the last quarter of last year that, that the, the big three, you know, could not agree.

You mean the governor, the speaker and the Senate?

Yes.

Know.

And that the, we had 2 to 3 people wanted to do it.

One didn't, but then the one changed their mind.

So, in January.

So now we have like a sprint to March 12th for the legislator to turn in their request.

And then after March 12th, we will meet with various our finance chairman of the Senate.

The House finance chairman will meet with his members, and then we'll try to narrow it down.

Capital budget has proven over many years to be a very productive thing to help, inspire jobs, help inspire, rehab of a certain building that can then be, you know, there's always great ideas.

But, you know, it's, the one year, as I said, I counted up all my capital budget requests came in $198 million.

And Cuyahoga County is one of the bigger counties capital, budget wise.

But we got about 18.

So 198, -18, there was a lot more people that got said no to that.

And nobody likes to say no, you know?

But, you know, so what you really have to do is two sides is you have to take a look.

What do you think this will be down the road?

How certain.

This is not something that's a wish.

And if we get this money and if we able to do that, maybe we might know it's it's got to be something that we're pretty sure is going to be a successful investment.

But when we're bonding it out, this is money that, the state bonds out and pays to bonds back.

And as I say, it's been a very successful program over all these years.

How do you get all that done by March 12th?

Well, we'll get our list of to submit and get it done by March 12th is going to be a challenge because again, we didn't have November December to make these ciphers.

And so now we're just in my office.

We're just 20 minute meetings just all through the day, and trying to get to see as many listed as many people.

I have a great staff and they're keeping up with things.

And, what we'll do is, is to narrow down, we'll set we'll give our entire list to the to the, finance chairman.

And then from that this year, different than before, we are going to work with our House members to see if we can't come to an agreement on what we both feel will be, so the kind of house will tell us what they think they would like to see, and then we kind of tell them, and we've never done that before.

So this will be just be interesting.

You know, And that is it for this week for my colleagues at the Statehouse News Bureau of Ohio Public Media.

Thanks for watching.

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Support for the Statehouse News Bureau comes from the law offices of Porter, right, Morse and Arthur LLP.

Puerto Rico is dedicated to bringing inspired legal outcomes to the Ohio business community.

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Puerto right inspired every day.

And from the Ohio education Association, representing 120,000 educators who are united in their mission to create the excellent public schools every child deserves.

More at O-H e.org.