Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has expressed alarm after his family's bodyguard was arrested on federal drug-trafficking charges. Justin Salsburey, 43, and his wife Ruthann Rankin, 38, were each charged on 30 December with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute large quantities of narcotics through the US mail.
Authorities executing a search warrant at the couple's home in western Ohio discovered about 261 parcels delivered between August and December 2024, containing counterfeit OxyContin pills that tested positive for fentanyl, methamphetamine, MDMA and steroids, according to an affidavit. Salsburey was employed by a private security firm contracted by Ramaswamy's family.
Campaign spokesperson Connie Luck said the family was 'alarmed to hear this disturbing news' and that the security firm had immediately removed Salsburey from the detail. Luck noted that Salsburey had cleared multiple background checks, including from the FBI and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and had passed a pre-employment drug test.
Rankin has been placed on unpaid leave from her job as a schoolteacher. Salsburey remains in custody pending trial. Ramaswamy, who sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 before endorsing Donald Trump, is now running for Ohio governor in a primary set for May.
