Full Breakdown
Ohio Senate Candidate Jon Husted Terminates Staffer Over Nazi-Linked Social Media
By Drooid · · How we work
Husted Campaign Fires Political Director Over Nazi-Related Posts
Senator Jon Husted’s Ohio Senate campaign announced the dismissal of political director Stephen B. Woytek after the Washington Post reported that Woytek had used a 2018 Facebook profile picture depicting soldiers of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler and had maintained a public Spotify playlist celebrating Rhodesia, a former white-minority-ruled colony. Woytek, an Army lieutenant and The Citadel graduate, had joined the campaign in August and was described by the campaign as a military-history enthusiast who “routinely reenacts historical battles.”
Background to the Campaign
Husted, the Republican incumbent senator, is locked in a competitive race with former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, attracting national attention and substantial outside spending. The campaign’s staffing challenges intensified after a volunteer, Andrew Havas, resigned months earlier over a prior criminal case involving alleged sexual misconduct with a minor, according to NBC News. Husted’s campaign has emphasized a need for staff who reflect the candidate’s standards amid the high-stakes Senate contest.
Official Statements & Responses
The campaign confirmed that the decision to part ways was made as soon as the posts were identified.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The Washington Post provided the initial evidence of the SS photo and Rhodesia playlist, while the New York Times noted it had not independently verified the social-media material. Screenshots of the playlist have since been deleted or set to private, and the Facebook profile picture is no longer publicly visible, limiting direct verification of the claims.