Uncategorized

Columbus, OH – It’s been another terrible week for car salesman Bernie Moreno after new reporting from Spectrum News revealed Moreno destroyed even more evidence than previously reported to get out of paying his employees. Plus, Moreno is facing scrutiny after new audio uncovered by the Columbus Dispatch revealed Bernie Moreno claimed the majority of Ohioans “cheat[ed]” to pass abortion rights.

NEED-TO-KNOW THIS WEEK:

• New reporting from Spectrum News revealed “previously unreported court records” that show Bernie Moreno destroyed even more evidence to get out of paying his employees the overtime they had earned, including “daily schedules.”

• In new audio uncovered by the Columbus Dispatch, Bernie Moreno claimed the majority of Ohioans “cheat[ed]” to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution last year.

• MORE fact checks exposed Moreno’s lies – correcting the record that Moreno has been sued “at least 50 times” and that his attacks against Sherrod are “false.”

• Ohio workers in Martins Ferry “denounced” Bernie Moreno for “screwing” his employees and “slam[med]” Moreno for being “nothing but a liar.”

📄 MORENO DESTROYED EVEN MORE DOCUMENTS: Spectrum News uncovered “previously unreported court records” that show Bernie Moreno destroyed even more evidence to get out of paying his employees the overtime they had earned, including “daily schedules.” When asked why he destroyed evidence and stole wages, Moreno echoed lies that multiple fact-checks have already debunked as “false.”

WATCH MORE FROM SPECTRUM NEWS HERE

Spectrum News: “But the judge sanctioned Moreno for destroying evidence, including monthly overtime reports and previously unreported court records also show Moreno either lost or destroyed daily schedules that could have been used to corroborate the monthly reports.”

❌ BERNIE ASPIRES TO OVERRULE THE WILL OF OHIOANS: New audio uncovered by the Columbus Dispatch this week revealed Bernie Moreno claimed the majority of Ohioans “cheat[ed]” to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution last year. Moreno has repeatedly supported overruling the will of Ohio voters by passing a national abortion ban and has said he is “100% pro-life, no exceptions.”

🔥 CHECK YOUR FACTS, BERNIE: Two recent fact checks make it clear Ohioans can’t trust a word Pants-On-Fire Bernie Moreno says – from lying about the “at least 50 times” he has been sued, which is “much more than” what Moreno has falsely claimed on the campaign trail, to Moreno spreading “misleading” and “false” claims in ads.

🤥 “NOTHING BUT A LIAR”: That’s what Ohio workers in Martins Ferry called Bernie Moreno this week as they “slam[med]” him for “screwing” his employees. Workers across the state have “condemn[ed]” Moreno for “lying to [workers’] faces,” “selling out workers,” and “stiffing his employees.”

• Frank Papini, President Of USW Steelworkers Organization Of Active Retirees: “We don’t agree with what Bernie Moreno is doing. I think [he is] a fraud, he’s caused a lot of problems with workers…”

• Mel Woods, UMWA Local 1304 Financial Secretary: “…Moreno is nothing but a liar.”

• Dave Dilly, UMWA Ohio Coal Miners Political Action Coordinator: “He was a car salesman and it’s my understanding that he screwed over some of his employees.”

 🗞️ WHAT OHIOANS ARE READING THIS WEEK:

• PolitiFact: “We rate [Moreno’s] claim False.”

• TiffinOhio.net: “An investigation by WKYC has uncovered that Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno has been sued more than 50 times by former employees, significantly more than the five lawsuits he claimed in a recent interview.”

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

• The Columbus Dispatch: “Moreno appears to harbor frustration about the decision to enshrine abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution.”

• Jezebel: Ohio GOP Senate Candidate Blames Abortion Victory on Organizers Cheating & Evangelicals Not Voting

• Spectrum News: “… financial disclosures show Moreno still manages a company that is developing a new Mercedes-Benz dealership in the Columbus area.”

• Times Leader: “…Moreno testified that he did not retain documents from the dealership when he sold it as part of M11 Motors LLC to new owners. Moreno added that he shredded documents sometime in late 2020.”

• WTOV: “Union leaders attacked Moreno’s integrity about business decisions affecting his employees.”

• Frank Papini, President Of USW Steelworkers Organization Of Active Retirees: “He’s a used car dealer, and has no idea what a good day’s work is.”

• Dave Dilly, UMWA Ohio Coal Miners Political Action Coordinator: “He’s always catered to the rich people… he screwed some of his employees and got caught with it…”

• Daniel Lippman, POLITICO: “… a trust belonging in part to the wealthy Republican Senate candidate [Bernie Moreno] was more than a year late on paying a $20,000 tax bill on a house that it owns.”

🐤 TWEET OF THE WEEK:

🎶 CODA: “[Moreno’s] always been for himself…”

###

Moreno Accidentally Reveals His Actions Were Worse Than Previously Reported

Columbus, OH – New reporting from Spectrum News revealed “previously unreported court records” that show Bernie Moreno destroyed even more evidence to get out of paying his employees the overtime they had earned, including “daily schedules.” When asked about why he destroyed evidence and stole wages, Moreno echoed lies that multiple fact-checks have already debunked as “false.”

WATCH MORE FROM SPECTRUM NEWS HERE

Spectrum News: “Bernie Moreno has faced more than a dozen lawsuits alleging underpayment.”

Spectrum News: “[One lawsuit] was filed seven years ago by a former employee of Moreno’s Mercedes-Benz dealership in Burlington, Massachusetts. The lawsuit alleges Moreno did not pay the worker for overtime…

Spectrum News: “But the judge sanctioned Moreno for destroying evidence, including monthly overtime reports and previously unreported court records also show Moreno either lost or destroyed daily schedules that could have been used to corroborate the monthly reports.”

Spectrum News: “Lynn Salagovic, who oversees payroll for all of Moreno’s dealerships, explains the employees earned a commission-based salary so they didn’t clock in and out despite a law requiring it.”

Lynn Salagovic, Oversaw Payroll For All Of Moreno’s Dealerships: “We were at fault…”

Spectrum News: “Moreno ended up losing the lawsuit and paying more than $400,000in damages.”

Bernie Moreno: “Listen, unfortunately, we have radical judges…”

Harri Leigh, Spectrum News: “Right…but the judge in this case was appointed by a Republican.”

Read More About Moreno’s Record Stiffing His Employees And Destroying Evidence To Get Out Of Paying His Workers:

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

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

• 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.

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

###

WKYC: How Many Times Was Ohio US Senate Candidate Bernie Moreno Sued During His Business Career? VERIFY

Columbus, OH – Last week, reporting from WKYC found Bernie Moreno has been sued by his former employees “at least 50 times” which is “much more than” what Moreno has falsely claimed on the campaign trail. Moreno has faced scrutiny for his record as a car salesman, which includes over a dozen lawsuits where Moreno refused to pay his employees what they were owed, including one case where he deliberately destroyed evidence he was legally required to keep to get out of paying them.

Read / Watch More:

WATCH MORE FROM WKYC HERE

WKYC: How many times was Ohio US Senate candidate Bernie Moreno sued during his business career? VERIFY
Stephanie Haney
August 28, 2024

• In an interview with The Vindicator in the Youngstown area, Moreno told the publication he was sued just five times in 15 years of business.

• If you search for “Bernie Moreno Companies” as a defendant on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas online docket, 13 cases show up. A search in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, reveals at least 10 lawsuits against Moreno’s M11 Motors, LLC.

• There was at least one administrative action against Moreno’s M10 Motors Inc. in Florida, and a search of federal court records shows multiple lawsuits against Moreno’s companies in Ohio, Florida, and California naming M1 Motors Inc., M2 Motors Inc., M10 Motors Inc., M10 Motors LLC, and Bernie Moreno Companies.

• So we can VERIFY that this claim is false. Moreno was not sued just five times in 15 years of business. It was much more than that.

• I told Moreno’s campaign that we uncovered dozens of court cases involving his companies, and asked for his comment on that… His campaign didn’t address lawsuits filed in any other state, including the 13 that show up in Cuyahoga County alone.

###

Columbus, OH — In case you missed it, JD Vance went to speak to a group of firefighters last week and was promptly greeted with a chorus of boos, especially when he claimed that he was part of the most “pro-worker ticket in history.” 

It’s not surprising, considering Vance’s track record of only working for himself while Ohio workers fall behind. One of JD’s few tangible policy positions while in the Senate was opposing the PRO Act, which has been called the “holy grail of labor reform” and voted against NLRB rules that would give workers more leverage when organizing and negotiating. 

And he defended his running mate after he celebrated firing striking workers and stood by his side even after he referred to unions as “dues-sucking.” So much for the “most pro-worker ticket in history.”

“Firefighters in Boston spoke for all of us when they told JD Vance loud and clear they saw through his blatantly false claims about his record on labor,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Vance’s reception comes as no surprise to Ohioans who watched him turn his back on them in favor of chasing power for himself . We may have buyers’ remorse, but we’re going to make sure the rest of the country doesn’t too.

Right-wing candidates will support an extreme agenda that protects corporations, restricts access to reproductive care, and more

Columbus, OH —With corporate special interest groups pledging $4 million in undisclosed spending to support three right-wing Ohio Supreme Court candidates, it’s clear that they know Joe Deters, Megan Shanahan, and Dan Hawkins will rubber-stamp their corporate agenda instead of protect the rights and freedoms of Ohioans.

“Corporate special interests and extreme anti-abortion groups are lining up behind the right-wing candidates for Ohio Supreme Court for one reason: These candidates aren’t interested in fairly upholding the law, they’re only interested in pushing a personal political agenda,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters. “We deserve a fair and impartial Supreme Court that believes in protecting our most basic rights, holding big corporations accountable when they break the law, and looking out for every Ohioan.”

According to the report, the groups behind today’s multi-million dollar pledge explicitly acknowledged these justices would rule in their favor, saying, “businesses want stable, predictable rulings from a state supreme court on issues such as business liabilities, workers’ compensation, taxes and regulations and redistricting.” 

Last week Ohio Right to Life, an extreme anti-abortion group that only endorses candidates who pledge that they’ll oppose abortion even in cases of rape and incest, also endorsed the three right-wing candidates for the court. Ohio Right to Life opposed Issue 1 last year and has continued to support abortion restrictions in the state. After last week’s lower court decision removing Ohio’s waiting period on abortion access, Ohio Right to Life said “we believe the Ohio Supreme Court is going to reverse a lot of this soon.”

“These groups aren’t even trying to hide their confidence that Joe Deters, Megan Shanahan, and Dan Hawkins will consistently rule in their favor – that should raise major flags for any Ohioan who believes in an independent Supreme Court,” added Chair Walters.

###