Clearing the air with Councilman Emmanuel Remy
Say what you want about him, and I've said a lot, but Councilman Remy had the honor to sit down and work through some of our problems.
My original beef with Columbus Councilman Emmanuel Remy was that he’s a realtor.
Nothing against Ohio’s beautiful realtors, but it’s a day job that a public official could use as a vehicle for bribes, kickbacks or even inside knowledge of government action.
To my knowledge, there are no guardrails in place at Columbus City Hall to prevent Remy from engaging in that behavior, if that were something he were interested in doing.
From there, I’ve potshotted him as “council’s only Republican” during my occasional sermons at City Hall. In his defense, he has always handled that razzing with aplomb, even if he’s never sent a Christmas card to Rooster Worldwide HQ.
Still, Remy’s behavior was at the center of an $87,000 settlement paid to his former aide, a story which The Rooster broke eight days before last year’s General Election.
I issued a five-alarm alert for information about Remy’s whereabouts. Because I don’t believe the media should accept “written statements” from politicians when discussing issues that they don’t want to talk about.
Maybe that was acceptable in 1934. But it’s 2026, and unfortunately, it only seems to count if it’s on video.
But I want to give Remy his credit. He had the courage to sit down and talk on camera with a blogger who, let’s be frank, has been known to throw a live grenade into a conversation with the cameras rolling.
That’s not the act of a coward. And I’ll always shelve my hardest tactics for politicians willing to sit and have a conversation, rather than force me to waste time working out logistics to find them in a public space.
What follows is a 20-minute conversation at the Michael Coleman Government Building in downtown Columbus that occurred in December.
We discuss Remy’s position on alcohol, treatment of City Hall staffers, why he sent his children to private school, Columbus campaign finance laws, and his biggest 2026 legislative goals.
You can view that interview in full below, albeit without captions, because I’ve had an insane week that will continue into Friday:
I prefer sit-down interviews, even if they don’t move the virality needle like bust-ups do, because they offer insight into the interviewee.
Despite all my criticism of Remy in the past, it’s not that I ever saw him as evil. It’s never that black and white. Good people can do bad things, and bad people can do good things. I’m no exception.
I like this interview because it showcases Remy’s gregarious nature when he’s at the top of his game. He is genuinely funny, which, admittedly, I wouldn’t have guessed as an occasional observer of City Council meetings.
I am sure, as two crackers with impeccable hairlines, we would get along swimmingly if we were sitting crooked at a bar and talking politics. Sadly, I’ll have to wait until the next life to test that theory.
But when I read the letter from his former aide’s lawyer, detailing the accusations about his toxic work behavior, they struck me as something I know well: An habitual user of alcohol who has a chemical imbalance in their brain, causing disproportionate responses to minor inconveniences.
Remy, however, cited his right as an adult to imbibe, while stating he never did so on the job. That would separate him from my relationship with alcohol—let’s just put it that way.
The City Hall line of defense on the lawsuit was that the payout stemmed from a Human Resources violation of the Family Leave Act, with accusations about Remy’s conduct being, well, accusations.
But if that were true, I don’t believe City Council President Shannon Hardin would have called Remy’s wife about the behavior. (Remy didn’t fight the notion that he had.) Nor would Hardin have mandated Remy attend “management training” provided through the city’s Human Resources Department.
Remy wouldn’t be the first or only city council member to use their aides for work outside the normal job description. The treatment of aides is a problem that extends across all levels of government, from City Hall to the White House. It’s a bigger problem on the Republican side, but it also happens on the Democratic side, too.
The long hours, extra responsibilities, and basic pay package are big reasons why well-intentioned young people get jaded and leave politics to do literally anything else.
It’s why, when I’m looking into a politician, the first question is always, “How do they treat their aides?” Its track record isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty damn close.
It should, however, be noted that a records request for Remy’s disciplinary record yielded no results. If it had, that would be another discussion with President Hardin.
Thankfully, that elevation wasn’t needed.
Ultimately, I think America would be a better place if Remy were considered a conservative. But only in America are we considered one and the same party.
I appreciate Remy’s candor and introspection. And I’m proud that we produced the kind of interview that is too rare in Columbus political circles. I encourage all politicians to do these types of interviews, even if it’s not with me.
The people deserve to see their leaders outside their normal responsibilities, talking like humans.
Because he mustered the courage to sit and talk with a blogger he did not trust, Remy’s debts have been paid in full, and every investigation has been closed.
The next time we encounter each other at City Hall, I hope we can discuss active legislation and his other ideas.
Paging Congresswoman Joyce Beatty… the thong salesman is under attack!!!!!
As The Rooster reported on Wednesday night, Central Ohio anorexia magnate Leslie Wexner has been staying in an unlikely place in Hocking Hills for the past week.
