Ohio Gubernatorial Hopeful Ramaswamy Accepts Contribution from Former Nazi Reenactor
Vivek Ramaswamy, the leading Republican candidate for Ohio governor and former 2024 presidential contender, has become the latest GOP politician to accept a campaign donation from Richard Iott, a former congressional hopeful whose 2010 campaign collapsed after photographs emerged of him wearing a Nazi-era military uniform. According to public campaign disclosure data reviewed by The Daily Mail, the Ramaswamy campaign accepted a $500 donation from Iott on August 15.
Controversial Donor's History Resurfaces
Richard Iott was among the Tea Party-aligned candidates seeking election to Congress in 2010 when his campaign was abruptly upended. The Atlantic published photographs showing Iott dressed in a uniform of the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking, a Nazi military unit that fought primarily on the Eastern Front during World War II and participated in the genocide of Hungarian Jews. At the time, Iott did not deny his participation in the historical reenactment group but insisted he did not subscribe to Nazi ideology.
'No, absolutely not,' Iott responded when asked if he believed in Nazism, adding, 'It's purely historical interest in World War II.' He elaborated further, stating, 'I've always been fascinated by the fact that here was a relatively small country that from a strictly military point of view accomplished incredible things. I mean, they took over most of Europe and Russia, and it really took the combined effort of the free world to defeat them. From a purely historical military point of view, that's incredible.'
Political Fallout and Continued Scrutiny
The controversy prompted swift condemnation from Republican leaders, including then-House Whip Eric Cantor, the GOP's highest-ranking Jewish member at the time. 'I do not support anything like this,' Cantor told Fox News Sunday. Iott attempted to mitigate the damage with a statement on his campaign website, asserting, 'Never, in any of my reenacting of military history, have I meant any disrespect to anyone who served in our military or anyone who has been affected by the tragedy of war, especially the Jewish community.' Despite these efforts, Iott lost the election to incumbent Democratic Representative Marcy Kaptur by nearly 19 points.
Fifteen years later, Iott's political contributions continue to generate controversy. In June 2025, just two months before his donation to Ramaswamy, the Jewish publication Forward reported that Iott had also donated to the campaign of Virginia Republican gubernatorial hopeful Winsome Earle-Sears. Several attempts to contact Ramaswamy's campaign for comment on Friday went unreturned.
Ramaswamy's Political Trajectory and Current Race
Vivek Ramaswamy, a 40-year-old Cincinnati native, launched his gubernatorial bid from his hometown last February. He previously gained national prominence during the 2024 presidential cycle as an anti-woke voice in the tech community, positioning himself as a next-generation, Trump-like candidate. After a disappointing performance in the Iowa caucuses, he dropped out and endorsed President Donald Trump. In November, Trump officially endorsed Ramaswamy's gubernatorial campaign.
Ramaswamy briefly served alongside Elon Musk in the Department of Government Efficiency but departed by the end of January 2025, describing it as a 'mutual discussion' about complementary approaches. Despite Trump's endorsement, Ramaswamy faces a competitive primary on May 5 against opponents including former school board president Heather Hill, who selected reality TV star Stuart Moat as her running mate, and business owner Casey Putsch. Renea Turner, who mounted a write-in campaign in 2018 and was reported to police for allegedly plotting to arrest Governor Mike DeWine over COVID-19 mandates, has also entered the race.
Close Contest with Democratic Opponent
Ramaswamy has struggled to gain traction in Ohio, a state Trump won by an 11-point margin in 2024. A December Emerson poll showed Democrat Amy Acton, a physician and former director of the Ohio Department of Health, leading Ramaswamy by one point, within the survey's margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percent. Democrats have rallied behind Acton, setting the stage for a tightly contested general election.
