J.D. Vance exchanged messages with a notorious right-wing conspiracy theorist asking for his thoughts on a range of subjects including Jeffrey Epstein, according to a report.
Messages sent over the encrypted messaging app Signal between Donald Trump’s running mate and Charles “Chuck” Johnson show Vance entertaining conspiracy theories himself as well as expressing doubt that Trump would, in fact, choose him as his VP pick, according to The Washington Post. Johnson—who gave the messages to the newspaper—contacted Vance to congratulate him the day after he was elected to U.S. Senate two years ago.
Johnson, a blogger who has previously made comments which cast doubt on the Holocaust, now self-describes as a government informant aiming to protect the U.S. from foreign influence, according to the Post. The outlet claims Johnson and Vance had a “mostly friendly” correspondence in the 20 months lasting until the weeks before Trump tapped Vance to be his running mate.
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The Ohio senator “solicited Johnson’s views on many topics,” according to the Post. He reportedly asked for Johnson’s “read” on UFOs, asked if he thought Epstein “actually killed himself,” and enquired about the Republican Party’s attitude toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asking: “What is GOP Bibi problem?”
Vance reportedly asked Johnson if he believed Epstein died by suicide—the conclusion reached by New York City’s medical examiner—in response to a tweet that Johnson had sent about the sex offender’s death in 2019. “Also haven’t followed story closely but he seemed like a genuinely bad dude,” Vance added of Epstein, according to the Post.
It’s not clear how Johnson responded, but Johnson has recently pushed wild conspiracies about the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death in public. “I want to say emphatically that Jeffrey Epstein died in the service of our country,” he tweeted last month, adding that he believes Ghislaine Maxwell “ought to be released.” Maxwell was jailed in 2022 for conspiring with Epstein abuse underage girls.
Vance also spoke with Johnson about who was behind the Nord Stream Pipeline sabotage and described his opposition to listening to Ukraine’s calls for U.S. military aid during its war with Russia. “Dude I won’t even take calls from Ukraine,” Vance wrote in October. “Two very senior guys reached out to me. The head of their intel. The head of the Air Force. Bitching about F16s.”
The leaked messages also show Vance speaking about Sheldon Adelson, the Republican megadonor who died in January 2021. “I’m pretty sure he gave me shit,” Vance reportedly wrote in response to a suggestion that he should read an article about Adelson’s influence. “Never met him,” he wrote last year. “Hes dead. Don’t care.”
Adelson’s widow, Miriam Adelson, gave $2,900 to Vance’s Senate campaign and recently contributed $5 million to a pro-Trump super PAC, according to the Post. A spokesman for the Adelson family said Miriam spoke with Vance about the message to Johnson, and that she is “unfazed” and “will continue to have a good relationship” with Vance.
As reports emerged that Vance was among the favorites to be chosen as Trump’s running mate, Johnson messaged Vance on June 24: “Congratulations. Good luck.” “For what?” Vance reportedly replied six days later. “You assume too much!”
“Don’t take it when it’s offered. It’s a trap,” Johnson warned. “Haha,” Vance in response. “Doubt it’s offered. We’ll see.”
“Chuck Johnson spam texted J.D. Vance,” William Martin, a spokesman for the senator, told the Post. “J.D. usually ignored him, but occasionally responded to push back against things he said.”
