Republican candidate seeking to replace Brad Wenstrup sought job with George Santos

The latest Republican hopeful to succeed U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup spent a brief period in the office of embattled New York Rep. George Santos.

Derek Myers, 31, of Chillicothe, filed paperwork Tuesday to become the third Republican seeking to replace Wenstrup, a Republican. The other announced candidates include Ohio state Sen. Niraj Antani and Clermont County Republican Party Chairman Charles Tassell.

Wenstrup announced in November that he would retire from Congress when his current term expires, saying he wanted to spend more time with his wife and two children.

Myers hasn't held political office before, but his name might be familiar to some. In 2019 Myers started the news website Scioto Valley Guardian and served as its editor-in-chief until stepping down this month to run for Congress.

While covering the murder trial of George Wagner IV in Pike County, Myers' tactics drew the attention of other reporters and the judge. Myers' leaving and entering the courtroom in the middle of the proceedings resulted in him being removed from the courtroom, the nonprofit media institute Poynter reported.

Authorities in 2022 charged Myers with breaking wiretapping laws after the Scioto Valley Guardian published a recording of testimony in the trial. Journalism advocacy groups, such as the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, rallied in support of Myers. The charges were later dismissed.

In February, Myers accused Santos of sexual harassment and ethics violations, claiming he worked for the New York congressman for about a week in January before the job was rescinded. Santos could face expulsion from the U.S. House after a litany of controversies, including reports he fabricated his resume on the campaign trail and multiple federal charges related to his campaign.

Myers posted on Feb. 3 to X, formerly known as Twitter, a letter he sent to the House Committee on Ethics. Myers, in the letter, stated he spent his first day on the job, Jan. 24, "performing work for the congressman and escorting him around the building," as well as answering phones, reading mail and writing to constituents.

Myers, in the letter, wrote that the next day Santos asked him whether he had a profile on Grindr, the popular gay dating app, invited him to karaoke and put his hand on his inner thigh and groin.

Santos told the news site Semafor his office had been in the process of hiring Myers when they decided against it due to the wiretapping charges.

The Enquirer checked congressional payroll records and found no record of Myers being employed in Santos' office.

When asked by The Enquirer about why he wanted to work for Santos, Myers said he didn't want to talk about it.

"I'm not here to talk about George Santos," Myers said. "I'm here to talk about me, and the things that I'm going to pursue. George Santos is on his way out of Congress, while I'm on my way in."

Over a 40-minute conversation, Myers deflected many questions about his biography back to his platform, making statements that "left-wing nut jobs are running amok" and alleging that there are "a bunch of pedos in disguise freely floating around our hometown."

Myers said he worked as a TV reporter in Florida and Louisiana before coming back to Ohio and managing his news site.

"We've had a very successful news operation in southern Ohio," Myers said. "The people have been very good to us here. And we're very grateful for them. And that's what has allowed me to see that I've had a voice. I've had the ability to give a voice to the voiceless. And I'm ready to take that to Congress."

Where is the district?

The sprawling district runs from Cincinnati's suburbs in the west to West Virginia in the east, covering most of southern Ohio. Almost all of the counties are considered part of Appalachia.

The district covers all of Clermont, Clinton, Pike, Adams, Brown, Highland, Ross, Scioto, Pickaway, Hocking, Vinton, Jackson, Lawrence, Gallia, and Meigs counties, as well as a portion of Fayette County.

What is the district like politically?

It's overwhelmingly Republican. In fact, it is the most Republican district of Ohio's 15, based on the 2020 presidential race results. President Donald Trump beat Joe Biden by about a 3-to-1 margin.

Wenstrup himself beat his most recent Democratic challenger Samantha Meadows in 2022 by the same margin.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who has filed to replace Wenstrup in the 2nd Congressional District?