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EAST PALESTINE -- Republican candidate for Governor Vivek Ramaswamy made a quiet visit to East Palestine on Friday to speak with residents and village officials.
Village Manager Antonio Diaz-Guy confirmed on Monday that Ramaswamy came to the village.
He said the visit included a small meeting with village officials at the Municipal Building that began at 5 p.m.
There, Ramaswamy spoke with Mayor Trent Conaway, Councilwoman Barb Herriot, police Chief Chris Weingart and Diaz-Guy.
Ramaswamy also had a number of people traveling with him but they did not take part in the meeting, Diaz-Guy said.
Prior to the visit at the Municipal Building Ramaswamy met with residents around town.
The visit comes after Ramaswamy made comments publicly about his displeasure with how class action attorneys handled the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment settlement.
Specifically, he was quoted in NewsNation stating that he was not happy with allegations that attorneys took more in fees than what was given to affected residents, and also was not happy with claims that the attorneys did not share results of test data disclosing levels of carcinogenic compounds.
Vice President JD Vance has also recently spoken publicly against how the Biden-Harris Administration handled the crisis.
Vance and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin have called for a federal investigation into how the derailment was handled at the time.
Antonio Diaz-Guy previously preferred not to comment on the EPA investigation, stating that he wished to withhold all comments until more detailed information is made available.
"I'll withhold all thoughts until I understand more about what the plan is from the EPA and Administration. In the interest of our community, I do not speculate and instead wait for documented plans," he said when contacted by this reporter a few weeks ago after Ramaswamy said he would visit the village.
As for Ramaswamy's visit, Diaz-Guy said officials were able to speak with him for about an hour.
"It was essentially to get an update on East Palestine, how we are doing and what support we need to continue to move forward," he said.
He added that the conversation focused around Ramaswamy's interest in the train derailment, immediate response, concerns from the community, and an update on where the village is currently.
"The visit was very much appreciated," he said.
He added that Ramaswamy attended an event in Columbiana after the visit.