Bernie Moreno's top aide and council member attack police officers while second aide is arrested

ASHVILLE, Ohio — Colton Henson, a Republican strategist and councilman for the village of Ashville who also serves as a top adviser to U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, was involved in a dramatic traffic stop this month that escalated into a significant altercation. Henson's girlfriend, Abby Wright, also a prominent political strategist for Moreno, was arrested during the incident.

Known as “the man behind the curtain,” Henson has been Moreno's man for the cause since the early days of the campaign and long before the primaries. Henson – who usually walks around with two cellphones in his hand, coordinating every step of political events – is something of a puppeteer of his trade; the one who plans high-profile visits, including those of Senator JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr.

The traffic stop

The traffic stop began around 11:30 p.m. when an Ashville Police officer noticed Wright's vehicle allegedly failing to stop properly at a stop sign at the corner of Madison Avenue and Long Street. The officer followed Wright as she illegally parked several houses away on School Street, a police report states.

What began as a routine traffic stop quickly spiraled out of control due to Henson's behavior. As a video shows, Henson, who was a passenger in the vehicle, repeatedly obstructed police officers' efforts to conduct the stop. His behavior included high-level political threats, further complicating the situation. Despite the officer's attempts to manage the routine stop, Henson's interference and aggressive behavior dominated the encounter.

According to the police report, Henson exited the vehicle and began to obstruct the officer's investigation as the officer was walking toward the car. Although the officer attempted to perform his duties, Henson was confrontational, refused to identify Wright, and obstructed the officer's questioning. Henson's behavior led to the arrival of two additional officers, who were needed to control the escalating situation.

In the bodycam footage, Henson can be seen yelling profanities at the officers and threatening to use his political connections to undermine their authority. He claimed he would call the county sheriff and ask him to sort things out, suggesting he might use his political influence.

“I cannot comment on why Mr. Henson mentioned my name at the scene, and I have not viewed the video myself,” Pickaway County Sheriff Matthew Hafey said in a statement. “I have never used my position to influence any police officer in his enforcement actions. My position is that when a person is charged with an offense, whether it be a traffic violation or a felony, a legal process has been established where they can contest the charges in a trial.”

While Wright took a breathalyzer test and admitted to drinking “two glasses of wine” despite showing signs of impairment, Henson continued to interfere, causing further problems. His behavior became increasingly hostile, as he told officers to “fuck off” when they attempted to answer his questions about his girlfriend's arrest. He also made strange statements about being tasered without provocation and repeatedly argued with officers, insisting that he knew the law and knew his rights.

Henson was elected to the council in November of last year to serve out the remainder of a term following the death of another official.

The result

In an unusual move, Henson called state Rep. Brian Stewart, a known political ally, to the scene. Stewart – a licensed attorney – arrived shortly afterward and attempted to mediate the situation, but Henson's hostility continued until Stewart ordered him to a nearby house.

Ultimately, Wright failed several sobriety tests, including the heel-to-toe step and one-leg stand, leading to her arrest for drunken driving. Henson was issued a citation at the scene for obstruction of official business. The vehicle was impounded and Wright was taken into custody. She was charged with drunken driving, driving without a valid license, expired license plates, failure to obey a stop sign and driving without insurance. According to federal election records, Wright is employed by the Moreno campaign, but her exact job description is not publicly known. Records show the campaign pays her $96,720 a year – or $4,030 every two weeks.

She was released from jail on bail just one hour and five minutes after her arrest, posting bail of just over $4,000. Local attorney Lucas Thompson filed a summons on Wright's behalf as her defense attorney. She had pleaded not guilty and within five days negotiated a deal in which she pleaded guilty to reckless driving instead of driving under the influence, received a year of probation and 30 days behind bars. She was given credit for three days, most likely to attend a driver's education course. Her license was also suspended for a year. The other charges were dropped.

The incident comes at a sensitive time for Henson, who has advanced his political career through his work as a Republican strategist and his role on the Ashville City Council. His attempt to exert political influence during the traffic stop and contact a state representative while calling out the sheriff's name has raised questions about potential abuse of power and his suitability for public office.

The consequences

Neither Henson nor Rep. Stewart have made an official statement on the incident. The Ashville Police Department has confirmed that Henson may face obstruction of justice charges. An outside, specially appointed legal director is reviewing the case for possible charges.

A message left with a Moreno spokesman inquiring about Henson and Wright's employment went unanswered. Henson, who was previously active on social media, has since deactivated his X account, formerly known as Twitter. As of the time of this story, he is still a member of the township council, according to the Pickaway County Board of Elections.

The scandal hits Moreno's campaign team at a time when it seems as if the Republican campaign team is waking up with a new black eye every day.

Moreno is a businessman who is running against incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown for the U.S. Senate in November. Moreno's campaign has been marked by several recent controversies that have attracted significant media attention. First, Moreno was embroiled in a scandal involving a gay dating profile linked to an IP address and email address associated with him.

In addition, recent revelations have called his academic credentials into question. This week, reports emerged that Moreno claimed to have a master's degree in business administration, but the university that supposedly awarded the degree said there was no such proof.

His campaign is further complicated by financial reports revealing that Moreno is close to re-entering the auto business – a sector he had previously completely withdrawn from to avoid conflicts of interest. This has raised doubts about the credibility of his previous claims of financial transparency. He also reportedly bought five homes last year.

Despite these controversies, Moreno has received significant support from former President Donald Trump, increasing his visibility and support among certain voting groups.