Flight reports reveal that a candidate for Ohio’s next governor has been using his private jet for short, frequent trips around the state.
According to Signal Akron, Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has taken 18 round-trip flights on his private plane — all without leaving Ohio. This does not include his other private flights to various parts of the country and world.
Some of these mini-trips included round-trip flights from Columbus to Akron, Cleveland, and Portsmouth. These trips, by car, would all take around two hours. A state campaign finance report showed that Ramaswamy spends $80,000 on the plane per month. And at the end of June, he had to loan his campaign fund $230,000 to cover plane costs, according to Signal Akron.
Some Ohioans are upset about the excessive spending on the plane. While campaign officials say his donors aren’t paying for his plane use, it still doesn’t sit well with many voters. And it’s not just about the spending.
According to a recent study and press release from the International Council on Clean Transportation, in 2023, private jets created more harmful pollution than all the planes departing from London Heathrow Airport.
Over the last decade, private jet emissions have increased by 25%. So the problem is getting worse, not better. This pollution is a critical climate issue, worsening pollution and accelerating climate problems.
Ramaswamy defended his frequent flying on the grounds of time management, telling NBC News, “Flying private is the fastest way … We’re looking at efficiency to do this.”
His campaign officials echoed this reasoning, stating that it helps Ramaswamy “efficiently reach voters across all 88 counties,” according to Signal Akron.
However, it seems he’s still not reaching all the voters who want a word with him. After a cabin pressurization malfunction on his plane, he canceled an event in Michigan. One woman in the audience addressed the room in frustration, stating: “He’s in Ohio! He could have driven.”
Phil Stein, campaign manager for Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton, said, “Vivek Ramaswamy flies around in a fancy private jet that his campaign spends $80K a month on, so it’s no surprise that he would continue policies that help billionaires like himself instead of Ohioans who are struggling,” according to Signal Akron.
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