The office of Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance has terminated the employment of Aaron Kofsky, a key financial policy adviser. This decision comes after a recent investigation revealed that Kofsky had made numerous posts on Reddit over several years discussing his use of various drugs, including cocaine and opiates. In addition, Kofsky had referred to Vance as a “Trump boot licker.”
WIRED, a technology news publication, had been preparing a story on this news and had reached out to Kofsky for comment by Monday morning. However, shortly before the deadline, Kofsky forwarded a Politico newsletter announcing his departure from Vance’s office. He stated that it had been an honor to serve Senator Vance and the people of Ohio, and that he was grateful to have moved on from that “dark period” in his life.
Kofsky also expressed his frustration with the situation, stating that while he acknowledges his mistakes, he believes that the effort put into “smearing” an “America First staffer” is unprecedented. He went on to question WIRED’s motives for publishing the story, suggesting that there may be ulterior motives at play.
According to Kofsky, he was suspended on October 16, the same day WIRED published their report, and was subsequently fired. He believes that this was ultimately due to the exposure of his Reddit posts, which he claims were written in jest and did not harm anyone.
Vance’s office declined to comment on the matter.
Under the username PsychoticMammal, Kofsky had posted about his use of various drugs for over a decade. He shared his experiences with withdrawal symptoms and offered advice on how to transport drugs through TSA checkpoints without getting caught. In one post, he even listed all the drugs he had tried and rated them on a scale of 1 to 10.
As recently as January, Kofsky had shared a video of Vance questioning a former DEA agent about manufactured opioids in a Senate committee hearing. He posted this video on multiple drug-related subreddits, expressing surprise that a politician was knowledgeable about these substances.
In a statement to WIRED last month, Kofsky admitted to struggling with drug use, which he claims was a way to self-medicate against the effects of epilepsy and epilepsy medication. He expressed regret for his past comments and stated that he is no longer proud of them.
Kofsky played a significant role in shaping Vance’s banking and financial policies as an expert in the field. However, his past actions have led to his termination from Vance’s office.
