Moreno Blasts Chillicothe Mayor For Cheap Political Attacks

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) wrote to Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeney blasting his cheap political attack on Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) and failure to engage on job restoration after the historic Mead Paper Mill, which was an economic backbone in the community. “Chillicothe is a proud community of hardworking and honest people. The residents of Paper City are the backbone of the Ohio economy that has made our state great for generations. If you want to be a productive partner in bringing jobs and economic growth to Chillicothe, I welcome you as a partner,” wrote Senator Moreno. “What I will not accept is cheap political stunts and petty attacks. Our constituents deserve better. Do the work we were elected to do or get out of the way.” Read the full letter HERE or below. October 31, 2026 The Honorable Luke Feeney, Mayor City of Chillicothe 35 South Paint Street Chillicothe, OH 45601 Dear Mayor Feeney, Public service is a calling, and it sometimes requires sacrifice. Over the past year, I have seen firsthand the havoc the closure of the historic Mead Paper Mill has wreaked. I used every tool at my disposal to make sure the hardworking people of Chillicothe were not left high and dry by a Wall Street private equity firm, even dedicating one of my staff members to live in Chillicothe full-time. That’s why I was so disappointed to hear you simply brush off all that hard work for a cheap political attack on Senator Husted one week before an election. Senator Husted and I have made it a top priority to secure a future for Chillicothe’s workers. The day the closure was announced, I was immediately on the phone with H.I.G. Capital, demanding answers and accountability. My team and I have worked every day to repair the damage caused to the community, even securing an additional 60 days of full wages and benefits for every mill employee. We identified and recruited a buyer that has already restored 210 jobs in less than 12 months at wages equal to or greater than those workers earned before. We even obtained a $5.5 million commitment from the prior owner for former employees, of which $1 million has already been distributed directly into workers’ pockets. But none of that seems to matter to you. In your baseless attacks, you made false statement after false statement, even claiming that only one in ten jobs has been restored. This is all especially ironic given you have not once reached out to me as we have worked tirelessly on behalf of Chillicothe’s workers. Just last week, I spent hours at the mill, speaking to workers, reviewing the progress we’ve made, and was even lucky enough to see The Chief back in action. One thing I did not see at the mill that day was you. I was proud to recognize some of those workers Wednesday night, men and women already back on the job. Paper production is set to resume by the end of the year, alongside other manufacturing that will give the complex a resilient future. I will not rest until the site employs more than the 862 jobs lost last year. I will not stand by and watch the American heartland be hollowed out by private equity, hedge funds, and liberal elites. We have a duty to the American people to prevent that and to secure our nation’s supply chains. Thanks to the hundreds of hours of effort from my office raising this issue at all levels of government, we’ve turned the tide to ensure that nitrile gloves can be produced domestically. I’ve also advanced legislation, The American Glove Act of 2026, to require federal agencies to source nitrile gloves exclusively from American manufacturers like the ones we represent in Chillicothe. Meanwhile, you have been nowhere to be found, failing even to respond to questions or correspondence regarding building and zoning process and standards for more than 200 market-rate apartments on property that would represent the first new housing development downtown in decades. Numerous building and zoning inquiries surrounding industrial expansion have also gone unanswered. Your administration has failed to answer calls, attend in-person visits, and ignored countless questions from business leaders trying to invest in the community. That is not acceptable. Chillicothe is a proud community of hardworking and honest people. The residents of Paper City are the backbone of the Ohio economy that has made our state great for generations. If you want to be a productive partner in bringing jobs and economic growth to Chillicothe, I welcome you as a partner. What I will not accept is cheap political stunts and petty attacks. Our constituents deserve better. Do the work we were elected to do or get out of the way. I could have done nothing in April 2025. Sherrod Brown certainly mastered that approach. But I chose to act and I hope you’ll join me. Sincerely, Bernie Moreno United States Senator