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

Columbus, OH – New reporting today revealed Bernie Moreno “refused to pay” an Ohio contractor over $300,000 and “forc[ed] the construction firm to file a legal claim” to make Moreno pay them what they were owed. This is “just the latest example of past legal disputes involving Moreno” and follows reports that Moreno refused to pay his employees what they were owed multiple times and even “shredded company documents that he and his lawyers ‘were required to preserve’ and ‘knew or should have known [were] relevant’ to get out of paying them.

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Mother Jones: Bernie Moreno Owed a Contractor $300K—Then Ignored Legal Rulings to Promptly Pay Up
Abby Vesoulis
September 20, 2024

• Before Bernie Moreno was the 2024 Ohio Republican candidate for Senate, he was the owner of numerous luxury car dealerships… in December 2007, Moreno hired the firm Welty Building Company (WBC) “for the design and construction of a Porsche dealership and a Mercedes-Benz dealership” in the Cleveland area, according to a 2014 court document.

• But legal documents obtained from Cuyahoga County’s clerk of courts show Moreno’s company M1 Motors failed to promptly pay Welty hundreds of thousands of dollars upon completion of the work. After an arbitrator declared in July 2014 that Moreno’s company owed WBC $313,058, Moreno still didn’t pay, forcing the construction firm to file a legal claim in September 2014 seeking a court to confirm the arbitrator’s decision.

• As a result, the court scheduled a conference meeting to discuss. Even after that meeting was scheduled, WBC had to file a “Motion to Enforce” before Moreno finally fulfilled his financial obligations…

• This saga, not previously reported, is just the latest example of past legal disputes involving Moreno. A litany of cases from Moreno’s pre-politics days of building a car dealership empire—lawsuits claiming racial, gender, and age discrimination, as well as wage withholding—have clouded Moreno’s attempt to portray himself as a self-made entrepreneur…

• This is at least the second example from Moreno’s past in which he did not promptly comply with official legal renderings: Amid proceedings over a case in which he was ultimately found liable for withholding overtime wages from his employees in Massachusetts, Moreno shredded company documents that he and his lawyers “were required to preserve” and “knew or should have known [were] relevant.”

• A Moreno campaign spokesperson declined to comment for this story.

• “Despite the arbitration award itself and numerous requests from Welty’s counsel seeking payment, Ml refused to pay Welty,” a November 7 motion said.

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Columbus, OH – Ohioans know that Bernie Moreno’s “crystal, crystal clear, has not changed” position on abortion includes supporting a national abortion ban that would overturn the will of Ohioans and that he is “100% pro-life with no exceptions.” In fact, Moreno has already voted to support an abortion ban without exceptions for rape or incest.

FACT: Bernie Moreno has made it clear he would support national legislation to ban abortion.

• New York Times: “[Bernie Moreno] described his views as ‘absolute pro-life, no exceptions.’ ‘Life begins at conception’ and ‘abortion is the murder of an innocent baby,’ he said on social media… [Moreno] said he supported a 15-week national abortion ban.”

• NBC: “Businessman Bernie Moreno favors a federal ban …Moreno was also visible in the fight and donated money to the campaign to defeat the ballot measure, known as Issue 1.”

• Forbes: “…Moreno described himself in a 2021 Breitbart interview as ‘100% pro-life with no exceptions’ and said during a March debate he would support federal restrictions on abortions…”

• Axios: “Moreno has said he would vote for a national abortion ban…”

• Cleveland.com: “… Bernie Moreno argued for national legislation banning abortion… A Moreno campaign spokesperson said Tuesday that Moreno’s views are unchanged even as former President Donald Trump said Monday that Republicans should defer to the states when it comes to the issue.”

• Cleveland.com: “[Moreno] would support a national law banning abortion…”

• Cleveland.com: “[Moreno] expressed interest in passing national abortion legislation…During the debate this week, Moreno, as he has throughout his current Senate campaign, called for federal legislation banning abortion’”

• Columbus Dispatch: “Moreno said he’s advocating for a 15-week federal ban that would allow states to go further, if they choose.”

• WNBS: “Moreno said he still supports a ban on abortions…”

• WEWS: “Moreno reiterated he would support in the U.S. Senate a federal standard for abortion. ‘I would vote for a national standard…’”

• Ohio Capital Journal: “[Bernie Moreno] has said he would support a federal ban. ‘I would vote for a national standard…’”

FACT: As a candidate for U.S. Senate, Moreno voted against Issue 1, a vote to uphold Ohio’s abortion ban that had “no exceptions for rape or incest.” Moreno even donated $100,000 of his own money to the campaign to defeat Issue 1.

• Moreno “supported an Ohio law that banned [abortion] after six weeks in the vast majority of cases.”

• Moreno said it was a “red flag” if “you vote against” a bill that had “no exceptions for rape or incest,” and called opponents of Ohio’s dangerous abortion ban “not on our side.”

FACT: Moreno affirmed in July that his position on abortion is “crystal, crystal clear” and “has not changed,” said he is “100% pro-life with no exceptions,” called abortion “murder,” and called abortion care “depraved.”

• MORENO: “My position is crystal, crystal clear, has not changed on abortion.”

• MORENO: “I’ve given hundreds of thousands of dollars of my own money to pro life causes. I’m 100% pro-life myself, unapologetically pro-life.”

• MORENO: “Absolute pro-life, no exceptions.”

• MORENO: “I’m 100% pro-life with no exceptions.”

FACT: Moreno is endorsed by an organization that pledged to only support candidates who committed to support a national abortion ban.

• Washington Post: “Dannenfelser pledged last year that SBA would not endorse any candidate who refused to embrace a national 15-week limit on abortion, which has led the group to endorse fewer candidates… it has endorsed only two Senate candidates in battleground states, Bernie Moreno in Ohio…”

• Spectrum News: “Moreno was recently endorsed by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a group that opposes abortion rights.”

What Ohioans Are Saying About Moreno’s “Disrespectful” Support For A National Abortion Ban That “Flies Directly In The Face Of What Ohioans Voted For:”

• Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio women cannot trust Bernie Moreno to protect reproductive rights

• The Toledo Blade: To the editor: Moreno supports abortion ban

• The Evening Leader: Bernie Moreno Wants An Abortion Ban, Doesn’t Respect Ohio Voters

• Allison Russo, minority Ohio House leader: “[Moreno] called for a national abortion ban that would overrule the will of Ohio voters… Moreno has made it known he will overrule the nearly 2.2 million who voted to protect abortion rights if he is elected to the Senate.”

• Issue 1 Leader Kellie Copeland: “Bernie Moreno has promised to support [a new federal abortion ban].”

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Colu❌bus, OH – One week since the Ohio Capital Journal found that Bernie ❌oreno is lying to Ohioans about having an ❌BA degree fro❌ the University of ❌ichigan, ❌oreno continues to face scrutiny for “falsely claim[ing]” to have an ❌BA ❌ultiple ti❌es.

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

WATCH MORE FROM WKYC HERE

Russ Mitchell, WKYC: “3 News has learned academic credentials attributed to Bernie Moreno are being questioned.”

WKYC: No, Ohio US Senate candidate Bernie Moreno doesn’t have an MBA from the University of Michigan, despite documents claiming he does: VERIFY
Stephanie Haney
September 12, 2024

• 3News has found that at least two different organizations have listed that Republican nominee Bernie Moreno earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration after graduating from the University of Michigan.

• Moreno served on the board of the Cleveland Foundation from 2014-18, and the organization’s Fall/Winter 2014 magazine included that Moreno had earned a Master of Business Administration from Michigan…

• Prior to this, a 2011 application included in a lawsuit about his car dealership in Florida also listed that he earned an MBA from Michigan in 1991.

• But the university registrar’s office confirmed to 3News that the only degree Moreno has earned from the school is a bachelor’s degree.

• So we can VERIFY that no, Bernie Moreno did not earn an MBA.

MSNBC: Thursday’s Campaign Round-Up
Steve Benen
September 12, 2024

• In Ohio’s U.S. Senate race, when Republican hopeful Bernie Moreno joined the board of the Cleveland Foundation, his biography claimed he held an MBA from the University of Michigan. He does not have an MBA from the University of Michigan…

Roll Call: At the Races: Recapping the season
Daniela Altimari, Mary Ellen McIntire and Niels Lesniewski
September 12, 2024

• MBA blues: A claim that Ohio Republican Bernie Moreno holds an MBA from the University of Michigan appeared on both his car dealership application and a short bio when Moreno served on the board of a Cleveland charity. However, the Ohio Capital Journal reports that Moreno… earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan but not an MBA.

Cleveland.com: Capitol Letter: Master’s of none
Jeremy Pelzer
September 12, 2024

• As Marty Schladen of the Ohio Capital Journal reports, Moreno’s November 2011 application to open a Florida car dealership stated incorrectly that he held an MBA from the University of Michigan, as did Moreno’s Cleveland Foundation website bio when he first joined the foundation’s board in 2014.

• A 2018 Cleveland State University bio, as well as the website of a Moreno-owned Mercedes-Benz dealership in North Olmsted, asserted he earned multiple degrees from Michigan.

Cleveland.com: Bernie Moreno MBA miscue: Darcy cartoon
Jeff Darcy
September 12, 2024

• … U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno doesn’t actually have an MBA degree from the University of Michigan, as had been claimed in his Infiniti auto dealership application and Cleveland Foundation bio.

• It has been uncovered that Moreno was twice credited with having a Master in Business Administration from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor that he does not hold.

The New Republic: MAGA Senate Candidate Caught Lying to Voters About His Money
Edith Olmsted
September 12, 2024

• In addition to his future plans, it seems Moreno has also been lying about his past. When he applied to open an Infiniti car dealership in Coral Gables, Florida, a document submitted claimed that he had received an MBA from the University of Michigan. Moreno had even signed the application. However, the Michigan Office of Public Affairs told the Ohio Capital Journal Monday that Moreno held only a bachelor’s degree in business.

• A 2018 biography of Moreno from when he chaired the Cleveland State University Board of Trustees claimed that he held multiple degrees from Michigan, but he only has one. The claim that he had received an MBA also appeared on the website for a car dealership he owned in North Olmsted, Ohio.

Political Wire: GOP Candidate Doesn’t Have the MBA He Claims
Taegan Goddard
September 11, 2024

• “The claim that car dealer and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno held an MBA from the University of Michigan has appeared in both a car dealership application and in a short biography of Moreno when he joined the board of the Cleveland Foundation,” Ohio Capital Journal reports.

• “However, a spokeswoman for the university on Monday said all Moreno has is a bachelor’s degree in business that was awarded in 1989.”

SEE ALSO: NEW: Bernie ❌oreno Lying About Earning ❌BA Fro❌ University of ❌ichigan

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Columbus, OH – After NBC News caught Bernie Moreno “preparing a return to the auto industry,” Bernie Moreno is “under scrutiny” for lying to Ohioans “for more than a year that he sold off business interests.” Despite claiming he “sold off all of his businesses to avoid conflicts of interest,” Moreno is spending nearly $50 million – $9.5 million on land in Delaware County and $40 million in financing – to open a new Mercedes-Benz dealership.

Here Are Five Times Bernie Moreno Lied To Ohioans That He “Sold Off All Of His Businesses To Avoid Conflicts Of Interest” While Taking Steps to Open A New Car Dealership:

1. MORENO: “I sold my business interests, my kids are all grown and out of the house, so I spend all day making certain that the people of Ohio know who I am.” [1:01:27, 6/25/24]

2. MORENO: “I’ve sold all of my businesses, I’m fully unemployed, and this is what I do all day, campaign.” [01:54, 12/20/23]

3. MORENO: “Built 15 dealerships over 12 years. Sold all those… I’m fully unemployed.” [01:07, 12/5/23]

4. MORENO: “Yeah, over the last few years, I sold the car dealerships.” [22:28, 7/15/23]

5. MORENO: “… I have sold all my businesses. I didn’t have to, I could have kept my businesses and continue to have a fallback if this didn’t work.” [20:19, 2/5/24]

Visit MercedesBenzofSunbury.com to learn more.

SEE ALSO: NEW: Car Salesman Bernie Moreno Caught “Preparing Return To Auto Industry” After Claiming He “Sold Off All Of His Business To Avoid Conflicts Of Interest”; “New Controversy” For Bernie Moreno As He’s Caught Getting Back Into Car Dealership Business; Bernie Moreno “Under Scrutiny” One Week After Getting Caught “Preparing A Return To Auto Industry”; Bernie Moreno Caught Spending Nearly $50 Million On His “Return To The Auto Industry”

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Ohioans Can Now Text or Call 844-OHI-VOTE For Voting-Related Questions

COLUMBUS, OH – On National Voter Registration Day, and with just three weeks until early voting starts on October 8th, the Organizing for Ohio Coordinated Campaign announced it has contacted more than one million Ohio voters – from calls to door knocks. The Organizing for Ohio campaign has already knocked more doors and engaged more Ohioans than the entire 2022 Coordinated Campaign, highlighting the campaign’s unprecedented momentum.

Organizing for Ohio also announced that, for the first time ever, Ohio voters will be able to text into the Voter Assistance Hotline 24/7 to receive information and resources about voting this year. This texting feature will expand the hotline’s capacity to answer Ohioans’ questions about voting and new voter ID laws, help Ohioans register to vote and request an absentee ballot, and respond to concerns at polling places.

“With less than 50 days left until Election Day, our unprecedented grassroots operation is on the ground engaging with more voters than ever before and has called or knocked on the doors of one million Ohioans,” said Organizing for Ohio Director Mariah Gould. “Our momentum will keep growing as we approach early voting and ensure Ohioans in every corner of the state know the stakes of the upcoming election and have a plan to vote.”

Ohioans can reach Organizing for Ohio’s Voter Assistance Hotline by texting or calling 844-644-8683 (844-OHI-VOTE).

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

• Check voter registration status here.
• Register to vote by October 7th here.
• Update voter information here.
• Request absentee ballot by October 29th here.
• Find the closest polling location here.

Here are key dates for the upcoming election:

• October 7: Voter registration deadline
• October 8: Absentee voting begins
• October 8 – November 3: Early voting
• October 29: Deadline to request an absentee ballot
• November 5: Election Day

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Ohioans interested in volunteering with “Organizing For Ohio” should sign up here.