As Ohio secretary of state in 2012, Jon Husted fired two Democrats from an elections board in Montgomery County after they pushed to keep early voting open on a weekend beyond his order. As a senator, he voted to confirm Pam Bondi as attorney general and Todd Blanche as her deputy, whose Justice Department indicted the President's critics James Comey and Letitia James, cases a judge then threw out, and in August 2026 his vote was needed to confirm Blanche as attorney general.
Husted also voted to confirm Kash Patel, whose FBI fired agents who had worked on investigations of the President, and Jeanine Pirro, whose office pursued six Democratic lawmakers over a video, and he voted against requiring a governor's consent before National Guard troops are deployed in a state.
Jon Husted's Record on Election Officials and the Justice Department Leaders He Confirmed
- Husted Fired Two Montgomery County Election Officials Who Voted for Weekend Voting Hours in 2012. In August 2012, as Ohio secretary of state, Husted fired two Democrats from an elections board in southwest Ohio after they pushed to extend early voting hours into the weekend beyond his order, the Associated Press reported. He had first suspended Thomas Ritchie Sr. and Dennis Lieberman from the Montgomery County Board of Elections. His directive had told all 88 counties to have the same early in-person voting hours on weekdays and have no hours on weekends.
- Husted Voted to Confirm Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche, Whose Justice Department Prosecuted Trump's Critics. On February 4, 2025, Husted voted to confirm Pam Bondi as attorney general, and on March 5, 2025 he voted to confirm Todd Blanche as deputy attorney general. Under Bondi and Blanche the department indicted James Comey and Letitia James in the fall of 2025. A judge dismissed both cases because the prosecutor had been unlawfully appointed, and two grand juries then declined to re-indict James. Protect Democracy, which tracks such cases, found that "Most of those cases have failed".
- Husted Cast One of the 50 Votes That Made Todd Blanche Attorney General in August 2026. On August 8, 2026, Husted voted to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general, and he was confirmed 50 to 49, so the nomination would have failed without Husted's vote. In April 2026, as acting attorney general, Blanche was asked about Trump having publicly implored her to indict several of his political enemies, referring to Bondi, and said Americans should be "happy" the President is deeply involved in the department, NBC News reported.
- Husted Voted to Confirm Kash Patel, Whose FBI Fired Agents Who Investigated Trump. On February 20, 2025, Husted voted to confirm Kash Patel as FBI director; he was confirmed 51 to 49. Patel's FBI fired at least two FBI agents involved in past investigations into President Donald Trump and fires special agents who worked on Jack Smith's probe, and on October 15, 2026 nine fired FBI employees filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Todd Blanche.
- Husted Voted to Confirm Jeanine Pirro, Whose Office Tried to Indict Members of Congress. On August 2, 2025, Husted voted to confirm Jeanine Pirro as U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., and she was confirmed 50 to 45. Her office investigated Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin and five other Democratic lawmakers over a video telling service members they may refuse illegal orders, and a grand jury on Tuesday declined to indict Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin on February 10, 2026.
- Husted Voted Against Requiring a Governor's Consent Before Troops Deploy in a State in October 2025. On October 9, 2025, Husted voted against an amendment to the defense bill to clarify certain limitations on full-time National Guard duty performed in a State, which would have required the governor's consent, and against an amendment to limit the provision of support by the Armed Forces to civilian law enforcement activities. Both failed. National Guard troops have patrolled Washington, D.C. since August 2025, at a peak of about 5,000, the Associated Press reported in October 2026.
What the Justice Department and FBI Under Officials Jon Husted Confirmed Did in Ohio
- Voter-registration group searched. On June 11, 2026, FBI agents have searched the office of an Ohio group that supports voter registration efforts, the Ohio Organizing Collaborative in Cleveland, seizing documents and computer files, the Associated Press reported. The FBI is led by Kash Patel, whom Husted confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jon Husted on Democracy and January 6
What is Jon Husted's record on democracy and the Justice Department under Trump?
Jon Husted voted to confirm the Justice Department and FBI leaders who indicted the President's critics in cases that failed and fired agents who had investigated the President, and his vote was needed to make Todd Blanche attorney general on a 50 to 49 vote. As Ohio secretary of state he fired two county election officials who had voted for weekend voting.
Why did Jon Husted fire the Montgomery County election board members?
Jon Husted fired Democrats Thomas Ritchie Sr. and Dennis Lieberman from the Montgomery County Board of Elections in August 2012 after they pushed to extend early voting hours into the weekend beyond his order. The board members contend they abided by the directive, which they said was ambiguous.
How many times did Jon Husted vote to confirm Todd Blanche?
Jon Husted voted to confirm Todd Blanche twice, as deputy attorney general on March 5, 2025 and as attorney general on August 8, 2026, when the margin was a single vote. Blanche said Americans should be "happy" Trump is deeply involved in DOJ.
Last updated: 2026-10-25