Russia business deals muddy GOP US Senate primary in Ohio

By JULIE CARR SMYTH
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Several Republicans competing for the party’s nomination to run for U.S. Senate in Ohio are facing scrutiny for their ties to Russia as the country intensifies its war against Ukraine. Much of the attention has focused on former Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken, whose husband’s family runs a company that does business in Russia. But other candidates in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman, including J.D. Vance and Mike Gibbons, also have links to business deals in Russia that could become vulnerabilities in the May 3 primary.