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Happy Groundhog Day! It’s Another Year Where None Of The GOP Candidates Are Fighting For Ohioans.

Columbus, OH – Between the abysmal fundraising reports, a new *sassy* pop quiz, Bernie Moreno feeling the heat for shredding key evidence he was legally required to keep, and the field trying to overrule Ohioans by passing a national abortion ban, we almost forgot it was Groundhog Day! While Ohioans can look forward to an early start to spring after Buckeye Chuck didn’t see his shadow, it’s still clear that – just like last year – no one in this field is fighting for Ohioans. 

Here’s a recap of what happened last week in what has already been called one of the “messiest”, “most expensive” and “bruising” primary battles in the country. 

#OHSEN FIELD POSTS ABYSMAL FUNDRAISING 

Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan all posted abysmal fourth quarter FEC reports this week – now we know why they have collectively loaned themselves more than $10 million this cycle. 

The #OHSEN Field despite loaning themselves $10 million…

and counting…

Matt Dolan even turned it into a family affair! Last quarter, a super PAC supporting Dolan’s campaign received $2 million from Dolan’s parents.

You know what they say, families that buy Senate seats together, stay together. 

POP QUIZ!

Despite the lagging fundraising reports, this slugfest continues to heat up. Yesterday, a super PAC aligned with Dolan launched a website featuring a “Which Bernie?” pop quiz. Check it out here.

Ouch!

NICE TRY, BERNIE – YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE FROM YOUR DECISION TO SHRED EVIDENCE TO GET OUT OF PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES OVERTIME 

Moreno hasn’t been able to escape scrutiny after he was slammed on the debate stage last week for shredding evidence he was legally required to keep while being sued by his employees for wage theft. 

While he may have destroyed paper records, he can’t erase this from Ohioans’ minds. It is clear that this is “an attack that [Ohioans are] going to keep hearing about Moreno.” 

FIELD DOUBLES DOWN: SUPPORTS OVERRULING OHIOANS BY PASSING A NATIONAL ABORTION BAN

When Roe v. Wade was overturned, Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan celebrated the decision and said it belonged to the states. But once Ohioans voted resoundingly to protect reproductive rights, they changed their minds and now want to overrule voters by passing a national abortion ban at the federal level.

Andrew Tobias, Spectrum News: “All three of [the Republican Senate candidates] feel if they were to get to the Senate, that not only is it appropriate for the federal government to weigh in on [the issue of abortion], but also said they would vote to do so if they could.” 

Read more from Cleveland.com here. 

GROUNDHOG DAY: THE SEQUEL

Move aside, Bill Murray! Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan are starring in the new Groundhog Day remake about how – just like last year – no one in this field is fighting for Ohioans.

COMING SOON TO A DEBATE STAGE NEAR YOU

The Slugfest Showdown was so entertaining last month, that Spectrum News decided to host another debate. Mark your calendars for February 19th because Moreno, LaRose, and Dolan will all take the debate stage, again, and it’s sure to be another bloodbath. 

Get more information here. 

SLUGFEST COUNTDOWN

46 days left until this Slugfest comes to a head and the infighting just keeps getting worse. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Dolan Campaign Strategist: “Bernie Moreno has been caught shredding court documents… all in an effort to obscure the fact that he’s an ideological shapeshifter prone to blaming others for his own bad judgment.” 

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The Field Also Supports Eliminating The Affordable Care Act – Which Would Jeopardize Care For Millions of Ohioans

Columbus, OH – As Medicare drug price negotiations begin today, here is a reminder that Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan oppose efforts to lower prescription drug costs. The field also supports eliminating the Affordable Care Act, which would jeopardize care for 857,000 Ohioans and risk denying care to nearly 2 million Ohioans with a preexisting condition. 

“From wanting to overturn the Affordable Care Act to opposing efforts to lower drug costs, Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan are looking out for Big Pharma – not Ohioans,” said ODP spokesperson Katie Smith. “Ohioans can’t trust Moreno, LaRose, or Dolan to fight for them.”

What repealing the Inflation Reduction Act and halting Medicare negotiations would mean for Ohioans:

• Without the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare would not be empowered to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices for Ohioans.

• Without the Inflation Reduction Act, which capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month, Ohioans would be forced to pay hundreds of dollars for life-saving medication. 

• Without the Inflation Reduction Act, Ohioans on Medicare would be forced to pay higher prices on 43 common prescriptions that drug companies often overcharge for. 

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Columbus, OH – As the #OHSEN Republican field posted their abysmal fourth quarter FEC reports yesterday, it’s clear the only thing dragging the field across the finish line in this Slugfest is personal wealth, out-of-state billionaire PAC money, and Mommy and Daddy’s cash. 

Here’s a reminder of who is funding the #OHSEN field’s campaigns:

• Bernie Moreno wrote himself a $3 million check last year to try to buy Ohio’s Senate seat after he said it’s “not right” for wealthy people to “write a big fat check” and that he wouldn’t “take [his] personal wealth and buy a Senate seat.”

• Frank LaRose loaned himself a “highly unusual” and “myster[ious]” $250,000 last year and is relying on out-of-state billionaire Richard Uihlein to bankroll his flailing campaign to the tune of $3 million. Uihlein also funded LaRose’s failed August amendment to silence Ohioans and benefit special interests. 

• Matt Dolan has already put $7 million of his personal fortune into the race. It turns out buying a Senate seat is a family affair – last quarter, a PAC supporting Dolan’s campaign received $2 million from Dolan’s parents.

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“That’s An Attack That We’re Going To Keep Hearing Against Moreno”

Columbus, OH – After facing attacks on last week’s debate stage for destroying evidence Bernie Moreno was legally required to keep while being sued by his employees for wage theft, Moreno hasn’t been able to escape additional scrutiny on how far he went to avoid paying his employees the overtime they’d earned. As Moreno tries and fails to dismiss legitimate questions about shredding records he “specifically agreed” to hand over to the court, it is clear that this is “an attack that [Ohioans are] going to keep hearing about Moreno.” 

“It’s clear Bernie Moreno doesn’t believe the rules apply to him and is only out for himself,” said ODP spokesperson Katie Smith.

Read / Watch / Listen to what they’re saying:

Harri Leigh, Spectrum News: “A court did rule that Morneo, quote, ‘lost or destroyed evidence that [he] was required to preserve.’”

Spectrum News: “State Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, hammered opponent Bernie Moreno for allegedly destroying documents in a wage theft lawsuit against him. ‘You shredded those documents because it helped Bernie Moreno,’ Dolan said at the debate. As part of a lawsuit filed against Moreno on allegations that he did not pay employees proper overtime, a court ruled in August 2022 that Moreno ‘lost or destroyed evidence that they were required to preserve and which they knew or should have known was relevant.’”

Haley BeMiller, WVXU: “Dolan especially went after Moreno on [the overtime pay lawsuits] pretty hard, and specifically went after him on this part in one of the court cases where Moreno was sanctioned by a judge for destroying records pertaining to employees’ overtime pay while the litigation was still ongoing. Dolan said […] that Moreno can’t be trusted… That’s an attack that we’re going to keep hearing against Moreno […] and certainly this lawsuit thing has become an issue.”

The Hill: “Moreno was also sanctioned by a judge for destroying records that listed who worked overtime at the dealership he owned. A Columbus-based NBC affiliate reported that Moreno said in a deposition that he did not keep the documents he had after he sold the dealership and shredded the documents in 2020. Moreno was found liable in one wage theft lawsuit and ordered to pay more than $400,000 and settled more than a dozen lawsuits related to alleged wage theft less than a year before launching his campaign.”

WCMH: “During a debate between Republican candidates in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race, state Sen. Matt Dolan accused businessman Bernie Moreno of shredding evidence against him in a court case. …The court record did affirm Dolan’s claim that Moreno got rid of evidence. ‘The inference is clear: Defendants either did not retain or shredded at least these monthly reports,’ a judge wrote in the documents.”

Business Insider: “From the beginning, Moreno was required to preserve all documents relevant to the case, and he specifically agreed to do so in January 2020 as the Adem case progressed. But during a May 2021 deposition for one of those wage theft cases, Moreno conceded that in late 2020, he had destroyed paper copies of monthly reports containing information about overtime hours worked by some employees… [T]he judge in that case, Justice Michael Ricciuti, chose to sanction him for destroying potential evidence…”  

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Cleveland.com: “Moreno, LaRose, and Dolan believe ‘federal intervention’ required on abortion access, despite previously celebrating ‘send[ing] abortion back to the states…’”

Columbus, OH – While the entire #OHSEN field celebrated when Roe v. Wade was overturned because it would allow “voters to decide” on reproductive rights, they now believe the issue requires “federal intervention” and would support a national abortion ban – which would overrule the will of Ohioans who resoundingly voted last November to protect abortion access. 

“Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan think they know better than Ohioans and would all overrule the will of Ohioans by voting to pass a federal abortion ban,” said ODP spokesperson Katie Smith.

Read / watch what they’re saying:

Colleen Marshall, WCMH’s The Spectrum:“On abortion, all seven states that voted on abortion access voted to protect it after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion decisions to the states. Despite that, all three Republican candidates said they would support some level of a federal abortion ban.” 

Andrew Tobias, Spectrum News: “All three of [the Republican Senate candidates] feel if they were to get to the Senate, that not only is it appropriate for the federal government to weigh in on [the issue of abortion], but also said they would vote to do so if they could.” 

Cleveland.com: Republican Ohio Senate hopefuls celebrated Supreme Court returning abortion to states. Then Ohioans passed abortion rights

Andrew Tobias

January 27, 2024 

• Ohio’s Republican Senate candidates, like other abortion opponents, previously celebrated the end of Roe v. Wade as a way to send abortion back to the states for voters to decide.

• But after celebrating the court’s decision as a major victory, some Republicans are coalescing around the possibility of a different kind of federal intervention: a legislative ban.

• One of the debate moderators […] asked all three candidates if they view abortion as a federal issue and if so, why.

• All three said they did, and expressed interest in passing national abortion legislation that they described as reining in Ohio’s new abortion-rights amendment, which they all opposed and view as going too far.

• It won solidly in an off-year election where it was top billing, and where it got outsized attention after Republicans (led by LaRose) scheduled an August special election in a doomed effort to make it harder to pass the abortion amendment. When voters cast ballots in November, the amendment won in 18 counties where former President Donald Trump won in 2020, and it would have passed even without the state’s most heavily Democratic counties: Cuyahoga, Franklin and Hamilton counties.

• Immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, LaRose celebrated the decision as a victory for “state’s rights.” Ahead of last November’s election, LaRose again said he thought abortion was best dealt with at the state level – but added a major qualifier.

• “I think the Supreme Court pushing this down to the states is a reasonable approach for now,” LaRose said in an August interview with NBC’s Chuck Todd. “But as I’ve said, I’m pro-life, and if a pro-life measure were to come to me in the Senate, I’d vote for it as a pro-life American.”

• But LaRose abandoned the “for now” in his answer during this week’s debate, saying “there should be a bare minimum at the federal level.”

• Dolan also expressed interest in passing a national abortion restriction during the debate in Cleveland.

• “I have been strong always saying that Roe v. Wade needs to be returned to the states,” Dolan told Fox News, describing the impending “Dobbs” decision that struck down Roe v. Wade as “exciting.”

• During the debate in Cleveland, Dolan said the abortion-rights measure that Ohio voters approved in November was “terrible” […] “If that starts becoming the norm, then I do think we have to step up at the federal level,” Dolan said, repeating a stance he shared with the Columbus Dispatch last October…

• Moreno also has described the Dobbs decision as largely returning abortion to the states after finding there’s no constitutional right to an abortion.

• But that doesn’t mean Moreno thinks the federal government should take a hands-off role. During the debate this week, Moreno, as he has throughout his current Senate campaign, called for federal legislation banning abortion…

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