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Leslie Wexner is Ohio's richest Republican, a single mega-donor with a net worth of nearly $ 6 billion – but he has now given up the holiday he has supported since graduation.
This week, the company's magnate, whose company owns Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works, announced that he could no longer support the party, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Speaking at an event for business leaders in Ohio, Wexner said he no longer identifies himself as a Republican.
"I'm independent," he said, adding that he was a GOP supporter since joining the Young Republicans in college. "I will not support this nonsense in the Republican Party."
Wexner donated large sums of money to Republican candidates, most recently to support Jeb Bush's presidential run in 2016, but has been heavily critical of Donald Trump in recent months. Last year, Wexner told employees in a speech that he felt "dirty" by Trump's response to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville where white supremacists marched to support a Confederate statue, one of between them killing a counter-protester. Now he has decided to leave the party entirely.
Leslie Wexner's announcement came on the same day that Barack Obama visited Columbus for Ohio Democratic presidential candidate Richard Cordray. Huffington Post reported. Wexner said he was inspired by Obama's message.
"I was struck by the authenticity of the man; his openness, his humility and his empathy for others, "said Wexner about Obama.
"I just decided I'm no longer Republican," he added.
Wexner has now joined a number of other prominent Republicans leaving the party compared to Donald Trump. Steve Schmidt, who in 2008 was campaign director for Republican candidate John McCain, also recently announced that he could no longer support the GOP.
Schmidt said he could not support a party that supported Trump's child separation policy.
"Twenty-nine years and nine months ago, I registered for the vote to become a member of the Republican Party, founded in 1854 to oppose slavery and defend the dignity of human life. Today, I renounce my membership of the Republican Party. It's Trump's party, "wrote Steve Schmidt in May (via CNN).
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio CEO, CEO, Leslie Wexner, says he is no longer a member of the Republican Party.
Wexner, now independent, adds that he "will no longer support this nonsense in the Republican Party". https://t.co/awS48ShnUF
– Kyle Griffin (@ kylegriffin1) September 15, 2018
It was not clear if Leslie Wexner's pocket book would follow his new political leanings, but even if he does not support the Democratic candidates, the state's richest Republican's financial backing is considered a blow to the GOP candidates.
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