Uncategorized

Cleveland.com: Senate Hopeful Bernie Moreno’s Falling Out With A Billionaire Mentor Led To Legal Battle, Move To Ohio

Columbus, OH – New reporting from Cleveland.com today revealed Bernie Moreno was sued by his former mentor for stealing “confidential company data.” This is the latest example in “a series of lawsuits that have come to light” against Moreno – who has been sued at least 50 times – including over a dozen lawsuits for refusing to pay his employees the overtime wages they earned and multiple lawsuits for gender and age discrimination.

Cleveland.com: Senate hopeful Bernie Moreno’s falling out with a billionaire mentor led to legal battle, move to Ohio
Jeremy Pelzer
October 28, 2024

• … [Moreno’s] former employer – led by a helicopter-commuting billionaire named Herb Chambers – sued him in 2005, claiming Moreno misappropriated confidential company data and used its resources to poach customers.

• The previously unreported litigation, which Moreno contested and ended in a settlement that was later overturned, is one in a series of lawsuits that have come to light over Moreno’s business practices.

• In legal filings that have surfaced during the campaign, Moreno has been accused of gender and age discrimination. More than a dozen dealership employees sued Moreno over unpaid overtime. Another said Moreno stiffed him on profit sharing he was promised.

• In 1993, Chambers hired Moreno – then a 26-year-old field consultant for Saturn, the now-defunct General Motors car brand – to run one of the dozens of dealerships he owned in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

• During the next 12 years, Moreno rose up into the upper management of Chambers’ company. But in March 2005, Mercedes-Benz approached Moreno about purchasing a small dealership in North Olmsted, Ohio, as part of a company initiative to have more Mercedes dealerships owned by racial minorities.

• A few months later, in July 2005, the Herb Chambers Companies filed a civil lawsuit against Moreno in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

• The suit claimed Moreno sold about 20 cars through his dealership to Chambers customers in violation of a confidentiality agreement and accused him of “improperly” advertising his Ohio dealership in Massachusetts.

• Years later, more than dozen lawsuits were filed against Moreno by employees at his Burlington dealership, claiming Moreno didn’t pay them overtime. Ultimately, Moreno was ordered to pay two of the workers more than $400,000, and 14 other lawsuits were settled for an undisclosed amount, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

• Moreno and his company or subsidiary also has faced three discrimination lawsuits in Cuyahoga County between 2015 and 2017, according to the Associated Press.

Read More About The Lawsuits Clouding Moreno’s Candidacy:

• Business Insider: Trump-backed Ohio Senate candidate shredded documents as he faced a lawsuit accusing him of wage theft

• Spectrum News: Bernie Moreno’s business record takes center stage in Senate bid

• WKYC: No, Bernie Moreno’s claims that Massachusetts courts overturned federal law in wage theft lawsuits and made rulings retroactive are not true: VERIFY

• WKYC: How many times was Ohio US Senate candidate Bernie Moreno sued during his business career? VERIFY

• Cleveland.com: Bernie Moreno got sued by an employee who said he didn’t get paid what he was promised. Here’s what happened.

• Mother Jones: Bernie Moreno Owed a Contractor $300K—Then Ignored Legal Rulings to Promptly Pay Up

• Mother Jones: A GOP Senate Candidate Blames “Liberal” Judges for His Labor Violations. Just One Problem With That. The Judges Were Largely Appointed By Republicans.

• The Daily Beast: This GOP Senate Hopeful Bernie Moreno’s Self-Made Story Has a Darker Side 

• Mahoning Matters: Mahoning, Trumbull union members discuss Bernie Moreno’s anti-worker allegations

###

Columbus, OH– This past week, reporting from Heartland Signal uncovered audio of GOP Congressional candidate Kevin Coughlin calling abortion “yesterday’s news,” in a desperate attempt to run from his support of abortion bans.

During Coughlin’s time in the statehouse, he was laser-focused on dismantling abortion access in Ohio. Coughlin even bragged about his record of anti-abortion votes in the state legislature, saying that he “co-sponsored or voted for every allowable Roe v. Wade state restriction.”

And abortion rights are still under attack for Ohioans. If extreme Republicans with a track record like Coughlin’s gain control of the House of Representatives, they’ll work to pass a national abortion ban that would override the constitutional amendment Ohioans overwhelmingly passed. 

“Coughlin’s callous lack of concern coupled with his dangerous track record on abortion shows voters loud and clear where he really stands,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer.  In just eight days, voters in the 13th Congressional District will make sure that Coughlin’s candidacy is ‘yesterday’s news.’”

Read more about Coughlin’s long-standing history of dangerous and extreme anti-abortion views:

• Coughlin bragged about his over ten year record of anti-abortion votes in the state legislature, saying that he “co-sponsored or voted for every allowable Roe v. Wade state restriction.”

• He is endorsed by Right to Life- an extreme anti-abortion group that opposes all access to abortion care and has pledged to only endorse candidates who oppose access even in cases of rape or incest. They also support extreme restrictions to reproductive care that could restrict access to birth control and IVF. 

• During his time in the statehouse, he co-sponsored and voted for legislation that opposed health care coverage for abortions and voted to restrict access to medication abortion, including mifepristone. 

• He helped elect and is currently supported by the author of Ohio’s extreme, dangerous six week abortion ban without exceptions for rape and incest. 

###

The Coordinated Campaign Has Also Called More Than Four Million Ohio Voters And Has Nearly 10,000 Unique Volunteers

COLUMBUS, OH – With 8 days left until Election Day, the Organizing for Ohio Coordinated Campaign announced it has knocked over 1 million doors and called over 4 million Ohioans this year. The Organizing for Ohio campaign surpassed total doors knocked during the 2022 cycle in September and total doors knocked during the 2018 cycle earlier this month, demonstrating the unprecedented grassroots operation working to mobilize Ohio voters this year.

“With just over one week until Election Day, our unprecedented grassroots operation is on the ground engaging with more voters than ever before to make sure all Ohioans have a plan to vote,” said Organizing for Ohio Director Mariah Gould.

Ohioans with questions about new voter ID laws, early voting, or polling locations can reach Organizing for Ohio’s 24 hour Voter Assistance Hotline by calling 844-644-8683 (844-OHI-VOTE). 

Here are additional helpful resources for Ohio voters to make a plan to vote:

• Find your early voting location here.

• Find your closest Election Day polling location here.

###

Ohioans can vote early now until Nov. 3. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Ohioans can find their polling location and make a plan to vote by visiting iwillvote.com or by calling the voter assistance hotline at 844-644-8683. Ohioans interested in volunteering should sign up here.

Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio US Senate Candidate Bernie Moreno Doesn’t Hold An MBA, But Bio And Application Claimed He Does

Columbus, OH – Ahead of THE Ohio State University Buckeyes game today, a banner flew above The Shoe reminding Ohioans that Bernie ❌oreno went to the University of ❌ichigan. ❌oreno has also faced scrutiny after reporting found ❌oreno “falsely claimed” that he earned an ❌BA from ❌ichigan.

Please find photos and video for media use here and below:

What Ohioans Are Reading About ❌oreno’s Phony ❌BA:

• Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio US Senate Candidate Bernie Moreno Doesn’t Hold An MBA, But Bio And Application Claimed He Does

• WKYC: No, Ohio US Senate candidate Bernie Moreno doesn’t have an MBA from the University of Michigan, despite documents claiming he does: VERIFY

###

Columbus, OH – It’s been another week of nothing but bad news for Bernie Moreno as he was caught using an anti-recording device to “make it much more difficult to capture his words” after he was caught “mocking” Ohio women. Relatedly, he once again doubled down on his support of a national abortion ban this week, confirming he still supports “legislation to enact a federal ban on abortions.” 

Bernie was also caught lying to Ohioans again about the lawsuit after lawsuit he faced for mistreating employees, and he faced scrutiny for his pattern of refusing to take responsibility for “stiffing workers” and telling “lie after lie” to Ohioans. 

Plus, recent reporting revealed Moreno promoted multiple customer testimonials that featured “current and former employees,” including “a sales representative [who] had never actually purchased a car from the dealership.”

NEED-TO-KNOW THIS WEEK:

• New reporting exposes that Bernie Moreno has “a desire to hinder” Ohioans from hearing what he is saying and has purchased an anti-recording device to “make it much more difficult to capture his words.”

• Moreno doubled down on his support for a national abortion ban that will overturn the will of Ohioans who voted to protect abortion rights last year.

• Moreno lied to Ohioans again about the lawsuit after lawsuit he faced for mistreating his employees.

• New reporting highlights Bernie Moreno’s pattern of refusing to take responsibility for his record of “stiffing workers” and telling “lie after lie” to Ohioans.

• As a car salesman, Moreno promoted multiple customer testimonials that featured “current and former employees,” including a customer testimonial promoting the Chinese-made Buick Envision that was actually “a sales representative and had never actually purchased a car from the dealership.”

🙉 MORENO CAN’T BE TRUSTED TO NOT MOCK OHIOANS: New reporting from Business Insider today exposes that Bernie Moreno has “a desire to hinder” Ohioans from hearing what he is saying and has purchased an anti-recording device – resembling a device “available online for roughly $400” – to “make it much more difficult to capture his words.” Moreno’s use of the device follows him “land[ing] himself in hot water” after he was caught “mocking” Ohio women and calling them “a little crazy” for wanting to make their own health care decisions.

🚫 MORENO ASPIRES TO OVERRULE THE WILL OF OHIOANS: Bernie Moreno said in an interview this week he still believes in “legislation to enact a federal ban on abortions,” confirming his support for a national abortion ban that will overturn the overwhelming majority of Ohioans who voted to protect abortion access last November. Moreno is still facing criticism for “mocking” Ohio women and calling them “a little crazy” for wanting to make their own health care decisions.

🤥 PANTS ON FIRE ALERT: In a recent radio interview, Bernie Moreno lied to Ohioans again about the lawsuit after lawsuit he faced for mistreating his employees. Moreno has already faced scrutiny for making multiple false claims about the “at least 50” lawsuits he’s faced – including a dozen lawsuits for refusing to pay his employees what they were owed and a case in which he deliberately destroyed evidence he was legally required to keep to get out of paying them. 

🫥 IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU: New reporting this week highlights Bernie Moreno’s pattern of refusing to take responsibility for his record of “stiffing workers” and telling “lie after lie” to Ohioans. This is the latest example of Moreno only looking out for himself – from refusing to pay his employees their overtime wages and deliberately destroying evidence to get out of paying them what they were owed, to “falsely claim[ing]” that he earned an MBA from the University of ❌ichigan, to failing to pay his taxes. Read more from The Guardian:

• Last month, after Moreno was shown to have falsely claimed to hold an MBA from the University of Michigan, including signing legal documents containing the claim, his campaign blamed “a staffer who made a mistake”.

• …Politico reported that “a trust belonging in part to the wealthy Republican Senate candidate [Moreno] was more than a year late on paying a $20,000 tax bill on a house that it owns” in Key Largo, Florida, “leading to the issuance of a lien in June 2023”. The debt was paid the day of the report, Politico said. A spokesperson for Moreno said the error was not his fault.

• In January, multiple outlets reported a Massachusetts case from 2017 in which Moreno was sued for non-payment of overtime at his auto company… Moreno claimed political bias, calling the jury in the case “ridiculous” and the judge “a Harvard elitist lunatic”. The judge in question was appointed by Republicans.

• Moreno also blamed the plaintiffs, whom he called “two of my worst salespeople, the guys that never even showed up on time, who didn’t punch in or punch out, who had no proof that they worked overtime”, and blamed the overtime pay issue on a staff member who he said “actually managed payroll”. In court, the staffer testified that she had not been responsible for such matters.

🚗 MORENO’S LIES ABOUT THE BUICK ENVISION CONTINUE: New reporting revealed that as a car salesman, Bernie Moreno promoted multiple customer testimonials that featured “current and former employees,” including a customer testimonial promoting the Chinese-made Buick Envision that was actually “a sales representative and had never actually purchased a car from the dealership.” Moreno has faced backlash from workers across Ohio for repeatedly lying about selling the Chinese-made Buick Envision which contributed to “Ohio jobs being shipped overseas.”

🗞️ WHAT OHIOANS ARE READING THIS WEEK:

• The New York Times: “… [Moreno] lamented that so many women were what he called “single issue” voters on abortion rights.”

• BNN Bloomberg: “[Joanna Colucci, a Trumbull County government worker] objected to Moreno’s recent mocking of suburban women who prioritize access to abortions whenever they want as “a little crazy,” especially if they are over 50.”

• The Guardian: “According to court records, a judge said Moreno “either did not retain or shredded … monthly reports” that he “knew or should have known” he was required to keep. Ultimately, a jury found Moreno liable for withholding wages and ordered him to pay $416,160 in damages.”

• Aftab Pureval, Mayor of Cincinnati: “The only thing people know [about Moreno] is he’s a rich guy who has a history of stealing from his employees.”

• Washington Times: “[Moreno] said he would “aspirationally” support legislation to enact a federal ban on abortions…”

• Elaine Nishwitz, Piqua Resident and Republican Voter: “How insulting was [Moreno’s comment]? We have daughters; we care about their future.”

• Penny Schmitthenner, Republican Voter: “Bernie Moreno frankly appalled me. Call me crazy, but I was appalled by his remarks.”

• Heartland Signal: “He has faced scrutiny for the more than 50 lawsuits he faced, for refusing to pay his employees overtime and for false statements about his record selling the Chinese-made Buick Envision.”

• Times Leader: “[Kevan Brown, business manager of the IBEW Local 246] referred to a court case in 2014 when Moreno was sued by former employee Michael Falcone for unpaid overtime wages. Kevin Brown proceeded to condemn Moreno’s business practices, adding that he believes Moreno’s business practices are unethical.”

🐤 TWEET OF THE WEEK:

🎶 CODA: “Bernie Moreno looks out for himself.”

###