Over the years, Borges worked for Gov. George Voinovich and President George H.W. Bush. He ran Joe Deters' state treasurer campaign. Borges pleaded guilty to improper use of a public office in 2004 for giving campaign donors preferential treatment at the treasurer's office. The charge was later expunged.
Borges rebuilt his reputation working for the campaigns of Vice President Dick Cheney, Sen. John McCain, Ohio auditor and later attorney general Dave Yost, U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs and former Gov. John Kasich. Kasich helped install Borges as leader of the Ohio Republican Party in 2012.
Former President Donald Trump helped oust Borges from that spot in 2017, replacing him with Republican Jane Timken. Shortly before Borges' arrest, he launched an effort to convince Republicans to vote for Democrat Joe Biden over Trump in 2020. Trump's campaign called Borges a sore loser.
