Ohio
Ohio Dem Senator Sherrod Brown has a history of voting to raise taxes — and being late to pay his own
A contentious senate race in Ohio is stressing the disconnect between the Democratic Party’s pro-tax agenda and the personal finances of some of its most prominent members.
One of those Democrats is Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, whose race against Republican Bernie Moreno may decide party control on Capitol Hill.
During his long career, Brown has voted for tax increases and against cuts regularly.
- In 2010, Brown co-sponsored Bernie Sanders’ so-called “Death Tax” bill, which would have taxed estates up to 65% after the owner’s death.
- Then, In 2013 and 2015, Brown voted NO on creating new tax funds that would have allowed the “Death Tax” to be phased out all together.
- Brown voted against – and opposed the extension of – George Bush-era tax cuts which lowered the tax rate for all income levels.
- Brown currently supports President Biden’s plan to “forgive”student loan debt, which opponents say is simply a cleverly disguised $1.4 trillion tax hike.
In 2023, Brown faced heavy criticism for falsely claiming tax credits for his home and filing late payments on his own personal returns.
NBC News reported Brown was late on tax payments at least seven times for his Cleveland home and was even labeled “delinquent” by Cuyahoga County for failing to make a scheduled $1,200 payment.
Brown was also forced to pay back Franklin County for falsely claiming occupancy tax credits on a second residence in Columbus. Brown says he no longer claims those tax credits on the Columbus property, which the Franklin County clerk confirmed.
“Perhaps these members, like Sherrod Brown, shouldn’t be getting paid their senate salary until they pay back their fair share,” Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform told The Post.
“Or maybe he can start flying coach instead of first class on all these special senatorial flights. That middle seat would probably make a lot of politicians very honest very quickly.”
A spokesperson for Brown told The Post that the tax credit issue was fully resolved over a year ago, but did not comment on whether the senator still owes late payments or is currently up to date on his personal returns.
”Democrats view taxes as incoming money,” Norquist continued.
“I think most of us would actually view it as outgoing money. Our loss is quite literally their gain. They see us as two groups: you pay the taxes, we’ll spend the taxes. They say ‘taxes are wonderful,’ and then we’re all out there wondering: ‘wait…wonderful for who?’”
Norquist says the problems go all the way to the top.
“It’s all of them. Even President Biden was caught at one point avoiding taxes. I’m sure Harris and the others all fear a call from the IRS just as much as the rest of us,” he told The Post.
“Hypocrite Sherrod Brown has spent his career hiking taxes on Ohioans but time and again refuses to pay his own. Brown is just another career politician who thinks he’s above the law,” NRSC Spokesman Philip Letsou told The Post.
Experts like University of Dayton Professor Chris DeVine believe taxes will be a key issue across the country this November.
“The economy is a key factor for voters in Ohio, and throughout the United States,” he told The Post.
“Taxation is a key economic concern. One challenge for Bernie Moreno and other Republicans will be convincing voters that, contrary to Democratic messaging on this issue, their tax cuts will benefit the middle class and not just wealthy people or corporations.”
Polling shows that Brown maintains a five point lead over Moreno in the nation’s most expensive senate race.
Top headlines of the week, May 22 2026
Here are some stories you may have missed this week in central Ohio.
Less than 100 protesters gathered at the Ohio Statehouse on May 27 to protest legislation that would criminalize certain drag shows.
Individual organizers, as well as Ohio 50501 and Ohio Equal Rights, organized the demonstration, said Logan Moon, one of the organizers. Some of the attendees were dressed in drag and donned bright colored face paint, colorful clothing, and high heels as requested in the protest announcement. One of the attendees also had a drum.
As with other protests in Columbus, members of the Columbus Division of Police Dialogue Team stayed on the periphery of the demonstration. Troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol also watched from a distance as one of the organizers led chants criticizing state lawmakers.
The protest was in response to Ohio House Bill 249, which would criminalize certain drag performances anywhere but adult entertainment facilities if they’re deemed obscene or harmful to children. It also changes the definition of public indecency, with an exception for women who are breastfeeding.
The Ohio House voted to pass the legislation 63-30 on March 25. It is now before the Ohio Senate, where no hearings have been scheduled yet. Republicans control both chambers of the General Assembly.
Moon, 24, said Ohio HB 249, and hundreds of other bills throughout the country targeting transgender people, are an example of “genocide” against trans people in the country.
Moon said she was disappointed by the low turnout at the May 27 protest, saying it was an example of the apathy of the general public.
After one of the organizers led a series of chants, protesters marched at least once around the Ohio Statehouse. There were no counterprotesters in attendance.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
Strauss victims call for Wexner name to be removed from OSU athletic facility
Victims of Dr. Richard Strauss are calling on Ohio State to remove Les Wexner’s name from its athletic center.
More Columbus first responders publicly shared at a May 26 press conference that they were sexually abused by former Ohio State University doctor Richard Strauss, as the leaders of Columbus’ fire and police unions called for justice and accountability for abuse survivors.
“Today is about courage. Today is about truth. And it’s about the men standing beside other men who for decades carried trauma and silence that was never their to carry,” said Michael DiSabato, an Ohio State wrestler who competed for the Buckeyes from 1987-91.
DiSabato, the whistleblower who initially spoke out about sexual abuse that he and others endured at the hands of Strauss, was joined by fellow former Ohio State student athletes and central Ohio first responders outside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Tim Becker, Gahanna’s Director of Public Safety and a former Deputy Chief of the Columbus Division of Police, publicly shared for the first time that he was among the hundreds of individuals sexually abused by Strauss. Becker said he first met Strauss as an Ohio State student in the mid-1980s seeking medical treatment for a rash he developed from cycling.
Becker said he was abused multiple times by Strauss during his visits to the student health clinic. He also said he felt violated by Strauss in the showers at Larkins Hall, the university’s former campus gymnasium. Strauss would often shower alongside students, according to multiple former Ohio State students and athletes.
Though he’d seen stories about Strauss in the news for years, Becker said he would often change the channel to avoid having to relive his experience. Becker was inspired to come forward after seeing recently retired Columbus Fire Chief Jeffrey Happ share that he too was a Strauss survivor.
Bishop Ready alumni share abuse stories
Happ shared publicly on May 14 that Strauss first assaulted him when he was a 15-year-old multi-sport athlete at Bishop Ready. Strauss sexually abused Happ and his teammates during a body fat study conducted by Ohio State, the former fire chief said.
Todd Schroeck, a former Columbus firefighter who was present at the press conference, also experienced sexual abuse by Strauss as a Bishop Ready wrestler.
Schroeck said he was 17 years old when his wrestling team was selected to be part of Strauss’ body composition study. It was during a closed-door physical that Schroeck said he was fondled by Strauss.
“It’s time to be brave,” Schroeck said during the press conference. “Being a victim doesn’t have to define you.”
Becker said he isn’t sure if he’s planning to join the lawsuits against Ohio State. He ultimately chose to come forward with his story because he hopes more survivors will feel empowered to speak out.
During his law enforcement career, Becker worked closely with victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence. Becker said very few men who were sexually abused by men come forward to report crimes.
“I can’t ask anyone to come forward if I wouldn’t do it myself,” Becker said.
Union leaders speak on abuse
Steve Stein, president of Columbus Fire Fighters Union Local 67 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, began his remarks with an apology to the men standing beside him at the press conference.
“I heard about this stuff in the news, and I just assumed that justice was being served,” Stein said. “I just assumed that the victims were being heard, that they were being treated fairly… That assumption ends today.”
Stein said he knows that there are others out there who have been abused but haven’t shared their story.
“We all have your back,” he said, referring to the 1,700 Columbus firefighters and thousands of others statewide. “We all stand with you.”
Brian Steel, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge 9, echoed Stein’s remarks.
“The survivors of sexual abuse at Ohio State deserve to be heard, deserve to be respected, and they absolutely deserve to be supported,” Steel said. “What happened to them was a profound betrayal of trust at an institution that should have protected them.”
Steel said institutions like Ohio State “should never be above accountability, especially when innocent people are being involved.”
Higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix can be reached at shendrix@dispatch.com and on Signal at @sheridan.120. You can follow her on Instagram at @sheridanwrites.
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