ASHVILLE, Ohio — Colton Henson, a Republican strategist and councilman for the Village of Ashville, who also serves as a top aide to U.S. Senate Candidate Bernie Moreno, was involved in a dramatic traffic stop this month that escalated into a significant confrontation. Henson’s girlfriend, Abby Wright, also a prominent political strategist for Moreno, was arrested during the incident.
Henson is known as “the man behind the curtain” who has been Moreno’s bodyman since the early days of the campaign and well before the primary. Henson — usually seen with two cell phones in his hands walking around political events coordinating every step is somewhat of a puppet master at his trade; the one who plans high-profile visits, including those with Senator J.D. Vance and Donald Trump, Jr.
The traffic stop
The traffic stop began around 11:30 p.m. when an officer with the Ashville Police Department observed Wright’s vehicle allegedly failing to stop properly at a stop sign at Madison Avenue and Long Street. The officer followed Wright as she parked improperly several houses down on School Street, a police report reads.
What started as a routine traffic stop quickly spiraled out of control due to Henson’s actions. Henson, who was a passenger in the vehicle, repeatedly obstructed the police officers’ efforts to conduct the stop, video shows. His behavior included making high-level political threats, which further complicated the situation. Despite the officer’s attempts to handle the routine stop, Henson’s interference and aggressive behavior dominated the encounter.
According to the police report, Henson exited the vehicle and began interfering with the officer’s investigation just as the officer was walking up to the car. Despite the officer’s attempts to carry out his duties, Henson was confrontational, refusing to identify Wright and obstructing the officer’s questioning. Henson’s behavior led to the arrival of two additional officers, who were needed to manage the escalating situation.
Bodycam footage captured Henson 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 have him take over and clear things up, suggesting he could leverage his political influence.
“I cannot say as to why Mr. Henson mentioned my name on the scene and I have not viewed the video myself,” said Pickaway County Sheriff Matthew Hafey in a statement. “I do not and have not ever used my position to influence a law enforcement officer when they are taking enforcement action. My position is that if an individual is charged with an offense, traffic or criminal, that there is a court process established where they can contest the charges in a trial.”
As Wright underwent field sobriety tests and admitted to having “two glasses of wine” while showing signs of impairment, Henson continued to interfere, causing further issues. His behavior became increasingly hostile when he told officers to “fuck off” when they tried to answer his questions about his girlfriend’s arrest. He also made odd statements about being tased without provocation and repeatedly argued with the officers, asserting his knowledge of the law and his rights.
Henson was elected in November of last year to village council. He had previously been filling an unexpired term after the passing of another official.
The outcome
In an unusual move, Henson called State Representative Brian Stewart, a known political ally, to the scene. Stewart — a licensed attorney — arrived shortly after and attempted to mediate the situation, but Henson’s hostility persisted until Stewart ordered him into a nearby home.
Ultimately, Wright failed several sobriety tests, including the “heel-to-toe” steps and the one-legged stand, leading to her arrest for OVI. Henson was warned 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, running a stop sign, and driving without insurance. According to federal election filings, Wright is employed by the Moreno campaign, but her exact job description is not publicly known. Filings show the campaign pays her $96,720 a year — or $4,030 every two weeks.
She bonded out of jail only one hour and five minutes after being booked, posting a cash bond of just over $4,000. Local lawyer Lucas Thompson entered a notice of appearance on Wright’s behalf as her defense attorney. She had pleaded not guilty and within three days struck a plea deal where she pleaded guilty to reckless operation instead of OVI, was placed on probation for one year, and sentenced to thirty days behind bars. She was given credit for three days, most likely to participate in a driver intervention program. Her drivers license has also been suspended for one year. The other charges were dismissed.
The incident comes at a sensitive time for Henson, who has been advancing his political career through his work as a Republican strategist and his role on the Ashville council. His attempt to leverage political influence during the traffic stop and contact a state representative while invoking the Sheriff’s name has raised questions about potential abuses of power and his suitability for public office.
The fallout
Neither Henson nor Representative Stewart has issued a formal statement regarding the incident. The Ashville Police Department has confirmed that Henson may face charges for obstruction of official business, with an outside special appointed law director reviewing the case for possible charges.
A message left with a Moreno spokesperson inquiring about Henson and Wright’s employment went unanswered. Henson, previously active on social media, has since deactivated his X account, formerly known as Twitter. As of the time of this story, he remains on the village council, according to the Pickaway County Board of Elections.
The scandal hits the Moreno campaign at a time that seems like the Republican campaign wakes up everyday dealing with a new black eye.
Moreno is a businessman facing incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown in November for the U.S. Senate. Moreno’s campaign has recently faced several controversies that have attracted significant media attention. Firstly, Moreno has been implicated in a scandal involving a gay dating profile linked to an IP address and email associated with him.
Additionally, recent revelations have challenged his academic credentials. Reports surfaced this week indicating that Moreno claimed to have a master’s degree in business, but the university supposedly awarding this degree has stated no such record exists.
Further complicating his campaign, financial disclosures have revealed that Moreno is poised to re-enter the car business—a sector he previously claimed to have fully divested from to avoid conflicts of interest. This has raised concerns about the veracity of his earlier claims about financial transparency. He also reportedly bought five homes last year.
Despite these controversies, Moreno has received notable backing from former President Donald Trump, which has bolstered his visibility and support among certain voter segments.
UPDATE: 3:34 P.M.:
The Cleveland Plain Dealer has reported that as of noon, Henson resigned from his political job. The campaign released a statement to the newspaper condemning Henson’s actions.
“Respect for law enforcement is a core value of our campaign and because Mr. Henson’s behavior did not meet that standard, he has resigned his position. While we appreciate his service, accountability requires tough decisions. Bernie has personally called the law enforcement involved to apologize for the incident and reinforce his respect for the incredible job they do for our community,” said Chris Grant, general consultant for the Moreno Campaign, in a statement to the Plain Dealer.
There was no word on Wright’s employment status, though the Plain Dealer confirmed she worked in a fundraising capacity for Moreno.