The U.S. Senate voted on Saturday to acquit former President Donald Trump on a charge of inciting the deadly Jan. 6 insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol, concluding his second impeachment trial with the same verdict as his first impeachment.
In the 57-43 vote, seven Republicans joined every Senate Democrat and independent in support of convicting Trump. Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman voted to acquit Trump. Ohio Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown voted to convict.
Those GOP senators were Richard Burr of North Carolina; Bill Cassidy of Louisiana; Susan Collins of Maine; Lisa Murkowski of Alaska; Mitt Romney of Utah; Ben Sasse of Nebraska; and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
In the evenly divided Senate chamber — which has 48 Democrats, two independents who usually vote with them, and 50 Republicans — it would have taken at least 17 Republican senators voting for conviction to reach the required two-thirds vote.
“Our Constitution and our country is more important than any one person. I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty,” Cassidy said in a brief video statement.
The Republican Party of Louisiana slammed Cassidy after the vote. “We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the vote today by Sen. Cassidy to convict former President Trump. Fortunately, clearer heads prevailed and President Trump has been acquitted of the impeachment charge filed against him,” the party tweeted.
Two of the Republicans who voted to convict, Burr and Toomey, have announced plans to retire next year. Three others, Collins, Cassidy and Sasse, were re-elected to a new six-year term in November.
Toomey told reporters after the vote that he did not make up his mind until after hearing the arguments. He said Trump’s actions leading to the second impeachment will form his legacy. “He’ll be remembered throughout history as the president who resorted to non-legal steps to try to hold onto power,” Toomey said.
In a statement after the vote, Trump blasted the impeachment process as “yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country,” and said that the movement he created “has only just begun.”
“We have so much work ahead of us, and soon we will emerge with a vision for a bright, radiant, and limitless American future,” Trump said in the statement.
Saturday’s impeachment vote in the Senate followed several hours of closing arguments, which were delayed when House impeachment managers sought to subpoena at least one witness. That call for witnesses cleared a Senate vote, but was later dropped when both sets of lawyers agreed to add to the trial record a written statement by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Washington Republican.
Herrera Beutler had tweeted about a conversation she had with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, (R-Calif.), in which he told her about speaking by phone with Trump during the Capitol mayhem. She said McCarthy described Trump as siding with the rioters over lawmakers as the violence was unfolding.
Trump was charged with inciting the violent mob that lay siege to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted the tallying of presidential Electoral College votes and resulted in five deaths, including a Capitol Police officer.
No other president had been tried on impeachment charges after leaving office, and no other president had faced impeachment twice. A conviction would have barred Trump from seeking public office again.
The arguments for and against convicting Trump were outlined over just five days this week.
Using graphic videos of the riot, previously undisclosed security footage, and clips of Trump’s speeches, the nine House lawmakers who served as prosecutors argued that the insurrection was the foreseeable result of the former president inflaming and encouraging his supporters not to accept the election results.
“President Trump must be convicted for the safety and security of our democracy and our people,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, (D-Md.), one of the managers, said.
Trump’s defense team argued that the House impeachment managers misconstrued Trump’s words, and that his calls for supporters to “fight” were no different from similar rhetorical calls from Democrats.
“In short, this impeachment has been a complete charade from beginning to end. The entire spectacle, a spectacle, has been nothing but the unhinged pursuit of a long standing political vendetta against Mr. Trump by the opposition party,” Trump attorney Michael van der Veen said.
After the vote, Republican senators who opposed conviction also blasted the impeachment process, while Democrats said they were taking necessary action against a president who they said violated his oath of office.
“The real purpose of this trial was to tar and feather not just the rioters, but anyone who supported the former President and any Senator who refuses to vote to convict,” said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in a statement.
“Our greatest loyalty as Americans is to our Constitution and the freedoms and protections she provides us; elected officials swear a solemn oath to uphold and defend our Constitution,” said Sen. Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.) in a statement. “Former President Donald Trump betrayed his oath willfully, as no president has before.”
Rob Portman of Ohio will not be seeking reelection to the U.S. Senate, with the Cincinnati Republican citing increased polarization in American politics as a reason to not campaign for a third term
The surprise announcement on Monday morning set off an early-week scramble for politicians of both parties to consider a run at the open seat in 2022.
In a statement, Portman said he intends to use his final two years in the U.S. Senate to “get a lot done,” pledging to work with the newly-inaugurated Biden administration on the COVID-19 pandemic response and other legislative priorities.
“I feel fortunate to have been entrusted by the people of Ohio to represent them in the US Senate,” Portman said in a statement, calling it “an honor” to have served the Buckeye State.
The departure will cap off a decades-long career in public service for Portman, 65, a moderate in both policy and style who has navigated a rightward shift within the Republican Party in recent years.
An ‘increasingly polarized country’
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH). Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.
Portman said Monday that “it has gotten harder and harder to break through the partisan gridlock and make progress on substantive policy, and that has contributed to my decision.”
He called America “an increasingly polarized country” with both parties being pushed toward ideological extremes, making this “a tough time to be in public service.”
“This is not a new phenomenon, of course, but a problem that has gotten worse over the past few decades,” his statement added.
It is certainly a much different political climate than when Portman first entered politics more than four decades ago. As a student of Dartmouth College, Portman interned for Cincinnati Congressman Bill Gradison.
He would return to New Hampshire in 1980 to work on the presidential campaign of George H. W. Bush, sparking a close relationship with the Bush family that continued in the years that followed.
Portman went on to study law and Bush won the presidency in 1988. He hired Portman to serve as an associate White House counsel and later as a liaison to Congress.
When Gradison resigned from his seat in 1993, Portman defeated a number of Republicans in a special election primary. He then proved his financial prowess in his first general election, raising 16-times as much as his Democratic opponent to win the seat.
Portman developed a reputation as an amicable policy wonk who could be a great asset for Republican campaigns. He once again helped out the Bushes by becoming a surrogate and fundraiser for George W. Bush’s presidential run in 2000. One Cincinnati event organized by Portman brought in $1 million for the Bush campaign.
The Ohioan made a name for himself as an expert debate prepper. Starting in 2000, Portman portrayed Democratic politicians in mock debates for four straight presidential cycles.
He was the “stand-in” for Joe Lieberman against vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney that first year, also assisting New York Republican Rick Lazio by portraying Hillary Clinton during a 2000 election for U.S. Senate.
Portman would go on to play John Edwards against Bush in 2004 and Barack Obama in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, sparring against John McCain and Mitt Romney.
Portman’s coveted debate work was a combination of studious preparation, political knowhow and an innate acting ability, The Guardian quoted a McCain advisor as saying in 2012.
He remained a loyal ally to the Bush administration while in Congress. In 2005, Bush appointed him to serve as U.S. trade representative and later named him director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Portman stepped down as budget chief in mid-2007. He had been commuting home on weekends for over a decade — since being first elected to Congress — and expressed a desire to head back to Ohio. In leaving Washington, Portman did not rule out a future run for governor or senator.
“There’s no finer man in public service than Rob Portman,” President Bush said upon his departure.
Back to Ohio, then back to D.C.
Returning to Ohio, Portman learned to toe the line between a political center and the more hardline elements of his party.
In February 2008, Portman was invited to speak at a Cincinnati rally for McCain’s campaign. Preceding him on stage was conservative radio host Bill Cunningham, who referred to Obama as a “hack” and made disparaging comments about former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s looks.
Cunningham even invoked Portman and his wife Jane’s names in making a crude joke about the homosexuality of Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank.
“Willie,” Portman said in taking the mic, “you’re out of control again. So, what else is new? But we love him. But I’ve got to tell you, Bill Cunningham lending his voice to this campaign is extremely important.”
After the event, McCain denounced Cunningham’s comments and apologized for them. Portman told reporters: “I was backstage so I didn’t hear everything (Cunningham) said.”
Portman jumped back into electoral politics in 2010 in announcing a run for U.S. Senate.
An election cycle centered on outsider politics and the Tea Party movement could have proven to be a challenge for a former Bush appointee. Instead, he benefited from there a Democratic senate primary; a weakened Ohio economy putting pressure on his eventual opponent, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher; and the Portman trademark of prolific fundraising.
Portman raised more than $13 million for the race and cruised to a comfortable victory in a fortuitous election year for Ohio Republicans. The party took back the governor’s seat and rising stars such as Jon Husted and Josh Mandel were elected to their first statewide offices.
Portman outperformed them all, winning the highest percentage and largest total of votes.
From possible Romney VP to Trump supporter
Early in his first term, Portman was vetted for the vice presidential slot on Mitt Romney’s 2012 ticket.
https://vimeo.com/47758672
This LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video is from an appearance by Sen Rob Portman introducing Rep. Paul Ryan at a campaign rally at Miami University in August of 2012 after Ryan was selected over Portman to be Mitt Romney’s running mate. Portman was previously on the short list of national pundits to get the nod for Romney’s pick.
Portman’s biggest strength — experience — also proved to be a hindrance. The Romney campaign was skeptical about choosing someone with close connections to the George W. Bush administration.
It was believed Portman could help the ticket carry Ohio, but the Romney camp found little evidence to back up that conclusion. In February 2012, a Quinnipiac University survey of Ohio voters found that President Obama polled slightly ahead of Romney. The poll also asked how Ohioans would vote if Portman was named as Romney’s VP pick — Obama actually gained a percentage point.
Romney ended up going in a different direction.
In 2013, Portman made headlines for becoming the first sitting GOP senator to endorse the legalization of same-sex marriage. He said this support followed his son coming out as gay two years before.
More a workhorse than showhorse in D.C., Portman primarily stayed out of the spotlight during Obama’s two terms. A Quinnipiac Poll from May 2016 found that 42% of registered voters in Ohio said they didn’t know enough about Portman to form an opinion about him.
That was after he had already served a dozen years in the U.S. House of Representatives, two years in the Bush administration and five years as a U.S. Senator.
Ohio U.S. Sen. Rob Portman with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.
During the Republican presidential primary, Portman first chose to endorse fellow Ohioan John Kasich. He later backed Trump for the general election before rescinding his support after an Access Hollywood tape was published showing Trump in 2005 boasting of grabbing women’s genitals without their consent. Portman said he would vote for vice presidential candidate Mike Pence instead.
Portman is often ranked as one of the most bipartisan senators, in that he frequently co-sponsors bills that are sponsored by Democratic lawmakers. It is also true that Portman became a reliable vote in favor of Trump’s policies as president.
An analysis from the website FiveThirtyEight found that Portman voted in line with Trump’s positions 88% of the time — a higher amount than other Trump allies such as Tom Cotton and Lindsey Graham. It is nearly the identical voting record percentage as Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, who is considered one of Trump’s top supporters on Capitol Hill.
Portman voted in favor of the Trump tax cuts and sought a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, though he broke with the president in not wanting a repeal without a replacement in place. He voted for Trump’s cabinet members and the Supreme Court nominations of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.
The latter vote was in contrast to Portman’s own legislative precedent he outlined in 2016. When a Supreme Court seat opened up in February of that year, Portman advocated for waiting to confirm a replacement in order to allow “the American people to weigh in on who should make a lifetime appointment that could reshape the Supreme Court for generations.”
When Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died six weeks before the 2020 election, Portman reversed course and urged the Republican-led Senate to confirm Barrett.
Portman avoided criticizing the president and dodged questions related to Trump’s conduct, telling reporters he was unfamiliar with the controversies in question. In one exchange, he evaded questioning by saying he was late for lunch.
The president’s Access Hollywood tape all but forgotten, Portman served as a co-chair for Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign and was named a co-captain of its Victory Finance Committee. He joined the president’s daughter for a MAGA rally in Youngstown a week before Election Day.
Nevertheless, Portman was one of the first Republicans in Congress to acknowledge Biden’s victory as being legitimate. He did not object to Biden’s presidential electors as several other Ohio Republicans did and has stated there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
Who will run for the open seat?
There is a long list of Democratic and Republican names already identified as potential candidates for the seat.
For Republicans, this announcement provides a newfound opportunity for those who were not otherwise planning to run in a contested primary for the seat. Among those who have already expressed interest or are rumored to be eyeing a campaign include Lt. Gov. Jon Husted; former state treasurer Josh Mandel; Rep. Jordan; Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta; Attorney General Dave Yost; former Rep. Jim Renacci; and others.
Ohio Democrats had created a “Defeat Rob Portman Fund” following the Justice Barrett nomination fight and now have a much different path to winning the seat. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, tweeted Monday he was “looking seriously” at running, with other possible candidates including Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley; Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes of Akron; Dr. Vin Gupta of the Toledo area, and others.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) said Monday he was “looking seriously” at running for U.S. Senate in 2022.
Some 2022 election ratings predicted Ohio would not be competitive with Portman on the ballot. Kyle Kondik, a political analyst for the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, believed a Portman race in 2022 would be “potentially competitive” but was likely to lean in the incumbent’s favor.
Kondik tweeted Monday the race remains favored toward the Republican Party, but the shake-up provides an opening to Democrats “under (the) right circumstances.”
Still two years remaining in term
As the dust settles from Portman’s announcement, it remains to be seen how the Republican will approach his final two years in office now that he is unencumbered by any electoral considerations.
Such is the major question, said David Niven, an associate professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati who is a former Democratic Party speechwriter.
Niven outlined two models for how the next two years could go for Portman: Jeff Flake and Lamar Alexander.
Flake, an Arizona Republican, was a vocal Trump critic and frequently spoke his mind after announcing he would not run for reelection in 2018. (Trump responded in kind, and Flake was recently censured by the Arizona Republican Party.)
Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, decided in 2018 not to run for reelection for the 2020 cycle and remained a Trump ally for the rest of his term.
Niven said the next two years will give a clear sense of Portman’s true political leanings without another race in front of him.
The first major test could be the upcoming impeachment trial. While other Republicans in the senate have condemned the impeachment effort — Marco Rubio of Florida called it “stupid” — Portman has adopted a more tempered, open-minded approach.
Portman has said Trump “bears some responsibility for what occurred” during the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol. In that statement, he said about an impeachment trial: “I will do my duty as a juror and listen to the cases presented by both sides.
Portman, familiar with the delicate negotiation process between the White House and Capitol Hill from his time with the first Bush administration, may play an important role with the current U.S. Senate’s relationship with President Biden.
“In these next two years, I will continue to be actively engaged,” Portman said in his Monday statement, “doing my best to provide hope as we try to get through the devastating coronavirus pandemic and doing my best to help bring our great country together, to help us heal, so we address the many challenges we face together.”
The most terrifying places these days are the eviction courts in Hamilton and Butler counties.
Go see them in the Butler County Government Building in Hamilton, and in Jail Building (Justice Center), Room B, 1000 Sycamore St. in Cincinnati. You will see, as I did, single mothers of small children pleading vainly for more time to find another place to stay, only to hear the magistrate issue a writ of possession enabling the marshals to put the families on the street in three or four days. The mother’s head sinks. She is hurried away from the podium by the deputy as the next case is called.
Some tenants present the court with the Centers for Disease Control eviction moratorium declaration, which purports to postpone evictions until Dec. 31. If the tenant does not send the landlord a copy of the declaration, it is considered invalid, and the eviction proceeds.
Some tenants have sought rent assistance, but the government agency refused to provide it because the landlord is requiring late fees in addition to the rent. And the eviction proceeds. Many tenants are finding out that there is no more rent assistance.
Nearly all of the evictions are for nonpayment of rent, and the pleas of tenants that partial payments of rent be accepted are declined by the landlords. The evictions proceed.
There are few lawyers representing tenants. The Legal Aid lawyers are overwhelmed, and there are few private lawyers volunteering for The Volunteer Lawyers for the Poor. A tenant going to eviction court without a lawyer is doomed.
Come the new year in January, and there will be a disaster for tenants. Governments must act now. The CDC temporary moratorium must be continued. Congress must provide additional rent assistance. The city of Cincinnati, commendably, has provided additional funding to Legal Aid to provide more tenants with lawyers. Butler County should do the same.
More emergency housing aid must be provided short term. And longer term, Congress and the Biden administration has to dramatically increase the funding for Section 8 vouchers, which enable tenants to pay 30% of their income for rent and enables them to seek housing on the private market – the landlord receiving the balance of the rent from the government. According to the 2019 American Housing Survey, more than half of all renters are paying 30% or more of their income on rent. These families are constantly living on the brink of eviction.
Now is the time for Sen. Rob Portman, Representatives Steve Chabot, Warren Davidson and Brad Wenstrup to come to the aid of their countrymen and women. First, come to eviction court and see firsthand what is happening.
By Marty Schladen – November 9, 2020 (Ohio Capital Journal)
Some, but not all, Ohio Republican officials on Monday appeared to be distancing themselves from Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that the Nov. 3 election is being stolen from him.
Trump racked up early leads — particularly in some battleground states where Republican lawmakers refused to allow early processing of mail-in votes. A massive portion of the electorate was expected to take advantage of mail-in voting because of the coronavirus pandemic and some states, such as Ohio, were ready to start processing them weeks before Election Day.
Also, Trump for months has been discouraging his supporters from voting by mail. So it was widely expected in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin that most of the early results to come in would be from Election Day voting and would heavily favor Trump. Those would be followed by mail-in ballots heavily favoring former Vice President Joe Biden and would take days to count.
That’s just what happened, and by late Saturday morning all major U.S. news organizations judged that Biden had built an insurmountable lead in Pennsylvania and projected him to be the winner of the election.
By Monday afternoon Trump’s allies were talking about legal challenges to the vote in several states, but the Washington Post reported that there appeared to be no central strategy. Meanwhile, many others called on Trump to stop undermining the public faith in the electoral process and concede.
“We all knew the counting process was going to take longer than usual this year because of the once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and higher voter turnout,” U.S. Sen Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, said over the weekend. “Counting votes and making sure every voice is heard is not fraud — it’s democracy at work. The President’s attacks on our democratic process are dangerous, but we will count every single vote.”
U.S. Sen Sherrod Brown
On Sunday, former President George W. Bush became the most prominent Republican to essentially declare the election over when he congratulated Biden.
Early Monday afternoon, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, also a Republican, congratulated Biden, although he said Trump has every right to go to court if he wishes.
“I congratulate Vice-President Biden,” DeWine said in a statement. “It would appear that President Trump’s legal team will be filing legal actions. The President’s lawyers have every right to present evidence in court on any legal issues or irregularities involving the election, and the courts are the proper place to hear evidence on these issues. When lawsuits have concluded and election results are certified, it is important for all Americans to honor the outcome.”
The office of Ohio’s top elections official, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, was more direct when asked if LaRose believed Biden had won.
“Yes, he does,” his spokeswoman, Maggie Sheehan, said in an email.
She pointed to an Oct. 6 statement LaRose had made on Fox News.
“When the results on election night say one thing and then when the results change over the ensuing several weeks, that’s not a sign that something nefarious is happening,” he said. “In fact, quite the contrary. It’s a sign that the legal process is being allowed to play itself out so that every legally cast vote can be tabulated. That’s exactly what we need to do.”
Meanwhile another Ohio Republican, Attorney General Dave Yost, is following Trump into court. Politico reported Monday that Yost’s office had filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court challenging a three-day extension for ballots to be received in Pennsylvania. That is one of the matters Trump and his allies are litigating.
Attorney General Dave Yost
Yost’s office didn’t respond when asked if the attorney general believed Biden had won the election. But Georgetown University Law Professor Josh Chafetz tweeted that the Supreme Court effort was pointless.
Yost released a statement saying that the legal action transcends pollitics.
“This constitutional question will come up again in future elections,” it quoted him as saying. “It is in the best interest of all Ohioans — all of America — to gain a definitive answer, regardless of politics.”
The office of U.S. Sen. Rob Portman didn’t immediately respond when asked if he believed that Biden had won the election. But over the weekend, Portman refused to criticize Trump for appearing in the White House East Room early Wednesday morning to declare himself the winner.
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman
His office referenced a series of tweets posted on Friday that didn’t address whether it was right for a president to call himself the winner of an election in which vast numbers of votes hadn’t been counted.
The office of Ohio Auditor Keith Faber, an ardent Trump supporter, didn’t respond when asked if he believed Biden had won the election.
Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague didn’t answer whether he thought Biden had won, but he urged patience.
“While news organizations make projections, they do not determine the winner of the Presidential election — the people do,” he said in a statement issued by his office. “That’s why it’s important to allow the elections departments of all 50 states to continue completing their certification processes so the 2020 election can be finalized properly and in accordance with the states’ laws. This process takes time, and it’s in the best interest of our republic to ensure it’s done right, rather than done fast.”
Marty Schladen has been a reporter for decades, working in Indiana, Texas and other places before returning to his native Ohio to work at The Columbus Dispatch in 2017. He’s won state and national journalism awards for investigations into utility regulation, public corruption, the environment, prescription drug spending and other matters.
BROWN, PORTMAN INVITE OHIOANS TO APPLY FOR NOMINATION TO U.S. SERVICE ACADEMIES
Eligible Students May Apply for the U.S. Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, Merchant Marine Academy, and Military Academy at West Point
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) are encouraging Ohioans interested in 2020 admission to U.S. Military Service Academies to apply to each senator’s office for a congressional nomination.
“Ohio’s students have the integrity, courage, and knowledge needed to enroll in our nation’s prestigious military academies and I am honored to nominate students for this high honor,” said Brown. “These academies develop the next generation of leaders who will serve our country as military officers and national leaders.”
“As a United States Senator, it is an honor and privilege every year to nominate a number of Ohio’s top young achievers for entry into one of our nation’s service academies,” said Portman. “Our nation has never had to look further than the Buckeye State to find those individuals who exhibit the sterling qualities of leadership, daring, and the sense of adventure needed to turn their biggest dreams into reality, and to rise to any occasion.”
Each year, Brown and Portman nominate up to 10 students for each service academy: the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Interested students who meet the eligibility requirements should send their completed application packet to Brown’s Cleveland office and Portman’s Columbus office no later than September 20, 2019. The application process is time-intensive. Applicants should plan well in advance.
For more information or to request an application, please contact to Brown’s Academy Coordinator at the Cleveland office at 1-888-896-6446 or visit Brown’s website here.
Brown and Portman will co-host United States Service Academy Seminars for all students who are interested in learning about the application processes.
Eligible Students May Apply for the U.S. Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, Merchant Marine Academy, and Military Academy at West Point
Washington, D.C.– U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) today encouraged Ohioans interested in 2019 admission to U.S. Military Service Academies to apply to each senator’s office for a congressional nomination.
“Ohio’s students have the integrity, courage, and knowledge needed to enroll in our nation’s prestigious military academies and I am honored to nominate students for this high honor,” said Brown. “These academies develop the next generation of leaders who will serve our country as military officers and national leaders.”
“I am particularly honored as a United States Senator to have the privilege every year of nominating a number of Ohio’s top young achievers for entry into one of our nation’s service academies,” said Portman. “Our nation has never had to look further than the Buckeye State to find those individuals who exhibit the sterling qualities of leadership, daring, and the sense of adventure needed to turn the biggest dreams into reality, and to rise to any occasion.”
Each year, Brown and Portman nominate up to 10 students for each service academy: the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Interested students who meet the eligibility requirements should send their completed application packet to Brown’s Cleveland office and to Portman’s Columbus office no later than September 21, 2018. The application process is time-intensive. Applicants should plan well in advance.
RP Diamond is the exclusive retailer of LOVELAND HIGH SCHOOL SPIRIT WEAR Welcome to RP Diamond Printing & Embroidery located at 370 Loveland Madeira Road
For more information or to request an application, please visit Brown’s website here or Portman’s website here. Inquiries can also be directed to Brown’s Academy Coordinator at the Cleveland office (888) 896-6446 and to Portman’s Academy Coordinator at the Columbus office 1-800-205-OHIO.
Brown and Portman will co-host 12 United States Service Academy Seminars throughout the state for students who are interested in learning about the application processes. A list of locations can be found below:
Monday, April 23, 2018
Symmes Township Branch Library
11850 Enyart Road
Loveland, Ohio 45140
6:00 – 8:00p.m.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Lorain County Community College
Spitzer Conference Center, Room 114
1005 North Abbe Road
Elyria, Ohio 44035
6:00p.m. – 8:00p.m
Thursday, April 5, 2018
North Central State College
Kee Hall, Rooms 128A & 128B
Main Campus
Mansfield, Ohio 44901
6:00 – 8:00p.m.
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Zane State College
Advanced Science & Tech Center
Room 224
1555 Newark Road
Zanesville, Ohio 43701
6:00p.m. – 8:00p.m.
Monday, April 16, 2018
Athens Public Library
30 Home Street
Athens, Ohio 45701
6:00p.m. – 8:00p.m.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Walsh Jesuit High School, Library
4550 Wyoga Lake Road
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44224
6:00p.m. – 8:00p.m.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
The Mills Morgan Tower
3500 Pentagon Boulevard, 1st Floor
Beavercreek, Ohio 45431
6:00 – 8:00p.m.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
East High School
1500 East Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43205
6:00 – 8:00p.m.
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Youngstown State University
Kilcawley Center
Ohio Room
One University Plaza
Youngstown, Ohio 44555
6:00 – 8:00p.m.
Thursday, May 3, 2018
Bowling Green State University
Bowen Thompson Student Union Alumni Meeting Room 314
