# From Presidential Politics to Federal Prison: Matt Borges's Story

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/innerspace-deep-meaningful-conversations-with-brett-kaufman-185648/from-presidential-politics-to-federal-prison-matt-borges-s-story
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/innerspace-deep-meaningful-conversations-with-brett-kaufman-185648/from-presidential-politics-to-federal-prison-matt-borges-s-story.md
Podcast: [Innerspace: Deep, Meaningful Conversations with Brett Kaufman](https://stenobird.com/podcast/innerspace-deep-meaningful-conversations-with-brett-kaufman-185648)
Published: 2026-06-09T21:35:20+00:00
Episode link: https://joininnerspace.com/
Audio file: https://audio4.redcircle.com/episodes/7d584dc6-679f-462b-a8fb-18e7ddbb052d/stream.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/innerspace-deep-meaningful-conversations-with-brett-kaufman-185648/episodes/from-presidential-politics-to-federal-prison-matt-borges-s-story
Duration seconds: 6896

## Resource

Former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges lived a life most could only dream of. Traveling with presidential candidates, hosting the first Republican debate of 2016, standing next to history on Air Force One. Then one July morning in 2020, the FBI was at his door with handcuffs. What followed was a federal trial that would test everything Matt thought he knew about himself. Offered a plea deal that would have kept him out of prison, he turned it down rather than confess in open court to something he says wasn’t true. He went to trial, he lost, and, despite appeals that took him all the way to the United States Supreme Court, he ended up serving twenty-seven months in federal prison. In this raw, unfiltered conversation - his first since coming home - Matt opens up about the daily emails he wrote to his wife Kate, that became a lifeline for both of them, and what he learned about what actually matters when the comforts of life are taken away. This isn't a story about politics. It's about a human being tested in the crucible, and facing the question “who are you?” then being brave enough to find that answer – and trust it. Matt's story is one of the most powerful examples of reckoning, resilience, and human connection we've ever shared on Innerspace. A reminder that sometimes losing “everything” is the surest way to find what's real. Learn more: joininnerspace.com

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