Lt. Governor Candidate David Pepper Joins Family Members of Alzheimer’s Patients to Slam Ramaswamy’s “Pump-and-Dump” Scam

Lt. Governor Candidate David Pepper Joins Family Members of Alzheimer's Patients to Slam Ramaswamy's "Pump-and-Dump" Scam

August 25, 2026

Columbus, Ohio- Today, candidate for lieutenant governor David Pepper joined families impacted by Alzheimer's disease in Columbus to slam Vivek Ramaswamy's alleged pump-and-dump scam that gave false hope to patients and their families and ripped off investors while Ramaswamy made millions of dollars.

Ramaswamy served as "the frontman" for a "dubious pharmaceutical company" and "cashed out weeks before its dramatic crash." He hired his own mother to manipulate data from failed clinical trials to make the drug look promising, despite her lack of clinical trial experience. Ramaswamy used his own mother's analysis to scam his way into hundreds of millions of dollars.

"My wife and partner of 48 years has Alzheimer's. It's devastating to see her brilliant and quirky mind taken away from us," said Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans President Norm Wernet. "There are good and dedicated scientists out there working to mitigate and resolve this disease, but Vivek Ramaswamy is not one of them. It's clear Ramaswamy will exploit anyone, even Alzheimer's patients and their families, in order to make money for himself."

"In the past years, two of my brothers took the long dreadful walk into the darkness of Alzheimer's," said Cincinnati AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Brian Griffin. "The idea that people who are in these circumstances would be taken advantage of in this heinous manner is despicable. How could we make someone like this governor?"

"Vivek Ramaswamy's record is one of false hope and false hype that never adds up. Instead, Ramaswamy exploits everyday people while he gets rich," said candidate for lieutenant governor David Pepper. "This is a pattern in Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign, whether it's his property tax scam or alleged 'pump-and-dump' scam. Ohioans can't trust Vivek Ramaswamy."

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