Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam among largest donors in campaign to defeat Ohio redistricting amendment

CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam are among the largest contributors to a political action committee working to defeat Ohio Issue 1, newly-released campaign finance reports show.

The proposed Ohio constitutional amendment would change the state's current political mapmaking system to allow boundaries to be drawn by a citizen-led redistricting commission, rather than the current process where the power rests in the state legislature and other elected leaders like the governor and secretary of state. The group Ohio Works refers to Issue 1 as "a Democrat power grab that will cost taxpayers MILLIONS and take away their input."

Records filed with Secretary of State Frank LaRose's office show the Haslams have donated a total of $100,000 to Ohio Works, with a $50,000 donation coming from Jimmy Haslam and another of the same amount from Dee Haslam. Both are listed on the finance report as owners of the Haslam Sports Group, with a P.O. Box address from Knoxville, Tennessee.

The Haslams have long been donors to Republican-aligned political candidates and causes, and Jimmy's brother Bill Haslam served as governor of Tennessee from 2011-19. In 2022, the couple along with fellow Columbus Crew co-owner Dr. Pete Edwards helped host a campaign fundraiser for Ohio U.S. Senate candidate JD Vance, who went on to win the election and is now the GOP nominee for vice president.


https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/politics/elections/cleveland-browns-owners-jimmy-dee-haslam-largest-donors-campaign-defeat-ohio-redistricting-amendment/95-d6bb895d-fde6-42f5-9435-b02aa4e25338