We are often judged by the company we keep, especially when we are in the public eye.
Even if you are not personally guilty of something, if a close, trusted adviser or staffer is accused of wrongdoing, you often wear the same allegations.
That theory is about to be tested after Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s bodyguard was hit with federal drug trafficking charges.
Ramaswamy attached himself to Trump’s hip during the 2024 election cycle, and I saw his play a mile away.
He had no chance of winning the presidential primary, and he knew it, but he was clearly working Trump to get into his camp and into his good graces, and it worked.
Ramaswamy was then slated to be a key part of DOGE, but that lasted for a hot minute before it was revealed that his endgame was to run for governor of Ohio. He immediately got Trump’s endorsement for that role.
This was all despite that fact that Trump had previously questioned Ramaswamy’s integrity and asserted that he could not be trusted, but eventually, the president was singing his praises, telling voters, "Vivek Ramaswamy will be a GREAT Governor of Ohio and has my Complete and Total Endorsement - HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN.”
The gubernatorial race is starting to heat up, and candidates are starting to pick their running mates.
Ramaswamy broke the news this week that he will be tapping Rob McColley as his choice for lieutenant governor. He stated, “I’m excited to announce Rob McColley as my running mate to be the next lieutenant governor of Ohio.”
He continued, “I’m an entrepreneur, not a politician, and selected Rob to be a governing partner who can help advance our ambitious legislative agenda. Rob is a proven conservative leader, and he is committed to my vision to make the American Dream a reality for every Ohioan.”
At this point, it is all systems go for Ramaswamy. He is now aligned with a local official with a great state profile, and he has the president’s endorsement. Then came the bump in the road.
Justin Salsburey, 43, who serves as the Ramaswamy family's bodyguard, however, was just hit with federal drug trafficking charges. Authorities found a nice mix in his possession, consisting of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and MDMA, as well as steroids.
Connie Luck, a spokesperson for the Republican gubernatorial candidate, stated, “Upon being informed of this matter in recent days, the outside security firm immediately removed the individual from the security detail. Prior to employment, the individual cleared multiple background checks conducted by the security company, as well as FBI and BCI background checks, most recently conducted by OSU Medical Center in September 2025.”
This is not about background checks, but it is instead about being able to judge character and skills through personal observation. Maybe I am being a bit rough on Vivek, but when you have a major drug epidemic in the country, and your bodyguard is either allegedly doing or dealing drugs, and you notice nothing wrong, well, I think that speaks for itself. If this does not blow back on Ramaswamy down the stretch of this election, I would be highly surprised.
The good news for Ramaswamy is that the GOP won the last gubernatorial election in Ohio by more than 25 points, and since 1983, there have only been two Democrats who took the mansion. He should be able to overcome this, but if he does not, his political career is likely over unless he attaches himself to JD Vance in the future.
