Columbus, OH – This week, a new report caught Bernie Moreno “preparing a return to the auto industry” despite repeatedly claiming he “sold off all of his businesses” on the campaign trail. Ohio workers also called Moreno out across the state for “lying to [workers’] faces” and “stiffing his employees.” Plus, Moreno faced scrutiny for lying about the dozen of times former employees sued him for refusing to pay them the wages they earned as ANOTHER fact check ruled his lies “false.”
NEED-TO-KNOW THIS WEEK:
- A new report from NBC News this week caught Bernie Moreno, who claimed he “sold every one of [his] businesses” to run for Senate, spending over $9 million and securing financing through a mortgage agreement with Mercedes-Benz to start a new car dealership in Ohio.
- Ohio workers in Lima and Athens called out Bernie Moreno for “selling out workers,” “lying to [workers’] faces,” “stiffing his employees,” and “shredding documents” after Moreno was caught “preparing a return to the auto industry” and refusing to pay his employees what they were owed.
- A new fact check from WKYC details the “dozen of times” Bernie Moreno has been sued by his former employees which is “much more than” Moreno has falsely claimed on the campaign trail – ruling his lies “false.”
🚘 ONCE A CAR SALESMAN, ALWAYS A CAR SALESMAN: There’s a “new controversy” for “former car dealer Bernie Moreno, who appears to also be a future car dealer” after NBC News caught Moreno “preparing a return to the auto industry.” While claiming that he “sold every one of [his] businesses,” public records show Moreno actually purchased $9.5 million of land in Delaware County and secured financing through a mortgage agreement with Mercedes-Benz for a new dealership, which will break ground in November.
💰MEGAMILLIONAIRE MORENO SOLD OUT WORKERS: One day after Moreno was caught “preparing a return to the auto industry,” Ohio workers in Lima called out Bernie Moreno for “selling out workers” and “lying to [workers’] faces.” From refusing to pay his employees what they were owed and deliberately destroying evidence to get out of paying them, to lying about selling Chinese-made cars that Ohio workers say “shipped Ohio jobs overseas,” Ohio workers know Moreno won’t fight for them.
WLIO: “Citing concerns for Ohio’s labor force, local unions came out today against Bernie Moreno… speaking out about the concerns they have with the lack of respect they say Moreno has for Ohio workers.”
🧑⚖️ RETURN TO SHREDDER: This week Ohio workers in Athens “condemn[ed]” Bernie Moreno for his record of “stiffing his employees” and “shredding documents,” citing one case where Moreno “stiffed [a former employee] out of money that Moreno personally promised him” and “improperly altered” documentation to try to get away with it. Read more here:
- “A group of union members and workers from Athens County gathered at the community park in The Plains on Monday… condemning Republican Party candidate, Bernie Moreno.”
- “As the speakers continued… they referenced two lawsuits regarding worker compensation which he has faced. Each speaker described Moreno’s actions as ‘stiffing his employees.’”
- “Moreno faced a lawsuit in 2014 from Michael Falcone, a former employee who stated he had not received his agreed upon compensation and was fired after inquiring about the situation, according to Cleveland.com.”
- “Additionally, the group of speakers highlighted their anger with Moreno for “shredding documents” in relation to a separate lawsuit.”
🤥 PANTS ON FIRE ALERT, AGAIN: A recent fact check from WKYC details the dozens of times Bernie Moreno has been sued by his former employees, “including the 13 that show up in Cuyahoga County alone,” 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.
🗞️ WHAT OHIOANS ARE READING / WATCHING THIS WEEK:
- NBC News: Ohio GOP Senate candidate plans new car dealership amid scrutiny of his businesses
- WCMH: “A new controversy…for Republican Senate candidate and former car dealer Bernie Moreno, who appears to also be a future car dealer.”
- WLWT: “…Republican, Bernie Moreno is preparing to return to the auto industry. This comes after Moreno said repeatedly he sold off all of his companies to run for US Senate… ‘this is just another example of Moreno being not trustworthy.’”
- Cleveland.com: “Republican businessman Bernie Moreno is working to re-launch his family’s high-end car sales business as he runs for U.S. Senate, recent financial disclosures show.”
- TiffinOhio.Net: “During his campaign, Moreno has faced criticism for his past business practices as a car dealer. Groups have highlighted lawsuits against him over workplace discrimination and unpaid wages…”
- WKYC: “Moreno was not sued just five times in 15 years of business. It was much more than that.”
- WLIO: “With the court actions against him for not paying earned overtime to his own employees, and the recent NBC News report that he has bought land to get back into the auto sales business, these laborers say that’s not what Ohio needs.”
- Tiffany McKee, United Steelworkers: “Well as a staff representative, I fight against exactly what Bernie Moreno is every single day, against people that want to take advantage of our workers.”
- Jeff Adams, UAW Local 1219 President: “[Moreno’s] a megamillionaire and has spent years selling out Ohio workers.”
- George Jeffries, UAW Lima-Troy Cap Council chairperson: “He stole from his own workers, and he steals from people that he might see every day. What’s going to keep him representing us 14 million Ohioans, whom he never expects to meet?”
- Taylor Popielarz, Spectrum News: “[Moreno] promoted and sold the Chinese-made Buick Envision from 2014 to 2019, despite Moreno saying multiple times on the trail that he stood up to General Motors and refused to sell the SUV.”
- The Athens Messenger: “[Ohio workers] shared their thoughts on the upcoming senate election, and heavy criticism of Moreno’s past actions.”
🐤 TWEET OF THE WEEK:
🎶 CODA: “Why doesn’t [Moreno] actually pay his former employees instead of starting a new dealership?”
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