U.S. Sen. Jon Husted said he supports relatives of an Ohio family who condemned a political ad that highlights their loved ones' deaths in a fiery car crash.
Husted told reporters Aug. 29 that his campaign asked the National Republican Senatorial Committee to take down an ad criticizing his opponent, former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, on immigration. The NRSC spot references Lynnea, Luke and 1-year-old Logan Soposki, who died in April when Modou F. Ngom allegedly rear-ended their car and caused a multi-vehicle wreck in Delaware County.
Husted's comments came days after relatives publicly criticized the ad, saying they never gave permission for anyone to use the Soposkis' photo or story.
"Our campaign had nothing to do with it," Husted said during
a GOP event in suburban Columbus. "As soon as we learned that the family didn't like the ad, we told the people who put it up to take it down. I'm with them on this. They've suffered enough. They don't need to suffer any more."
The NRSC ad has been replaced on air by new content, but it's still posted to the group's YouTube page. An additional unlisted clip, viewed more than 5.5 million times, notes the ad was funded by the NRSC and authorized by Husted's campaign.
Lynnea Soposki's brother, Jesse Mallen, said it's hard for him to take comments from Husted and the NRSC at face value when the ad is still posted online. He said campaign officials haven't reached out to him or other family members since the issue became public.
"I'm disappointed that this wasn't just the default behavior," Mallen said. "Why did it need this much attention to do what was obvious to so many was the right thing?"
This isn't the first time the Soposkis' deaths grabbed the attention of GOP leaders. U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno called for a federal investigation after state officials alleged Ngom fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship under an alternate identity. He's not currently facing immigration-related charges, the New York Times reported.
An analysis from FactCheck.org found no evidence tying Brown's past votes on immigration to Ngom, as the NRSC ad claims. But Husted said the broader point is still relevant, arguing some undocumented immigrants improperly obtained commercial driver's licenses.
The Trump administration has cracked down on immigrant truck drivers and recently carried out an enforcement operation in Ohio and other states.
"When you do not follow the rule of law, when you let millions of people into this country illegally, it endangers everyone," Husted said. "Including on our highways."
State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at hbemiller@usatodayco.com or @haleybemiller on X.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Sen. Jon Husted says relatives of Ohio family in NRSC ad 'suffered enough'
