New reporting from NBC News found that Ohio Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno is developing a new car dealership—after repeatedly claiming that he sold all his businesses to avoid any conflicts of interests.
“Bernie Moreno will say anything to try to appeal to voters, but his actions speak louder than his words,” said End Citizens United Spokesperson Grace Silva. “He cannot be trusted—especially when it comes to his own self-enrichment. Moreno is only looking out for his bottom line and will sell out Ohioans at the first chance he gets.”
NBC News: Ohio GOP Senate candidate plans new car dealership amid scrutiny of his businesses
Henry J. Gomez
08/27/24
Key sections:
- In a recently filed personal financial disclosure statement, Moreno identified himself as a manager of two companies — including a realty business that he lists as an asset — that, according to public records, are developing a Mercedes-Benz dealership.
- Moreno, who has said several times during his bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown that he sold off all of his businesses to avoid conflicts of interest, confirmed his involvement in an interview.
- “I got rid of all my operating businesses, anything that would have given me a conflict,” Moreno said in an interview in May with Kitco News, which covers the precious metals market and cryptocurrency, another business in which Moreno has invested.
- “I knew defeating Sherrod Brown was going to be very difficult. What did I do? I sold every one of my businesses, made sure I had no conflicts of interest, so that I could focus my complete attention to do this,” he said.
- Democrats have attacked Moreno’s business dealings, specifically his record as a car dealer. Brown’s campaign has run ads that play on tropes about dishonest car salespeople while characterizing Moreno as an unprincipled businessman who mistreats employees, citing past lawsuits over workplace discrimination and overtime pay against his companies.
- In his recent personal financial disclosure statement, a form that Senate candidates are required to file, Moreno listed more than 20 “business entities” as assets, including M20 Realty LLC, as well as other limited liability companies and limited partnerships.
- In April, weeks after Moreno won the Senate primary, M20 Realty acquired land in Sunbury, a suburb north of Columbus, for $9.5 million, according to property records in Delaware County. Around that time, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA entered into a mortgage agreement with M20 Realty. Moreno signed the mortgage as a manager for M20 Realty and signed a landlord/tenant agreement between M20 Realty and M20 Motors on behalf of both companies, according to copies accessed on the county’s website.
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