#OHSEN Slugfest: Bernie Moreno and Frank LaRose Trade Barbs, Multimillionaire Matt Dolan Uses “Cheap Loan” to Fund Senate Campaign, Avoid Paying Taxes
August 25, 2023
Columbus, OH – It’s Friday, which means there’s a week’s worth of infighting and barb-trading to recap in today’s #OHSEN Slugfest newsletter. This week, the infighting reached new heights as Bernie Moreno and Frank LaRose traded barbs over State Issue 1’s flop. LaRose, who made himself the face of State Issue 1, continues to be criticized by Republicans writ large for being spineless and mishandling the August election.
Multimillionaire Matt Dolan also felt the heat this week after a new report showed that he is using a “cheap loan” to bankroll his Senate campaign and avoid paying taxes. Dolan’s sweetheart deal did not go unnoticed by his primary foes, who jumped into the slugfest to criticize him for his too-good-to-be-true deal.
Here’s what you missed this week in what has already been called one of the “messiest, “most expensive” and “bruising” primary battles in the country.
MORENO AND LAROSE TRADE BARBS
The gloves were off this week with Bernie Moreno and Frank LaRose trading barbs on conservative radio over State Issue 1’s flop. LaRose, who made himself the face of an amendment designed to benefit special interests and silence Ohioans, has been taking water from Republicans writ large for how he mishandled the issue, which Moreno described as a “preview of what would happen with Frank LaRose at the top of the ticket in 2024.”
But LaRose is not letting Moreno’s attacks go unanswered. This week, LaRose called out Moreno for not donating to the State Issue 1 campaign in August despite his massive “personal wealth.” The next day, Moreno clapped back by calling LaRose “disingenuous” and “pathetic.” Ouch!
MORE #OHSEN INFIGHTING:
The Intelligencer: “‘Matt and Frank are two sides of the same coin,’ Moreno said. ‘If you want a professional politician who is going to be there forever, who thinks this is a career and is an insider and is going to basically be part of the D.C. thing, (voters have) two choices…’”
Heartland Signal: “ Even though the Republicans were united in their support for Issue 1, the U.S. Senate candidates are using its failure to bash LaRose as Issue 1 is the first major blow to his Senate campaign.”
LAROSE MAKES A BOLD CLAIM…
After being caught red handed downplaying Trump’s endorsement months ago behind closed doors, LaRose told Jewish Insider this week that he is “likely” to get the Trump endorsement.
Reminder: Donald Trump has praised Bernie Moreno, who has also secured the J.D. Vance endorsement.
Also notable: Ohio Republicans slammed LaRose for being weak and spineless on Trump this week. Read the highlights:
Matt Mayer: “What kind of a spine does [LaRose] have…boy I tell you that that’s not the guy I want next to me in a foxhole if you know what I mean…that is just not the kind of politician we need to send to Washington.”
Bruce Hooley: “So I’m looking at this from the outside of what I see and what I know. And it just feels to me like Frank LaRose, hoping to get Donald Trump’s endorsement is a Hail Mary, because these two guys have not really been close. I know Trump endorsed LaRose, but it was like a blanket endorsement at the time…”
IT’S GOOD TO BE RICH! MULTIMILLIONAIRE MATT DOLAN USING “CHEAP LOAN” TO BANKROLL HIS SENATE CAMPAIGN
Cleveland.com: “Dolan pays .832% interest on the loan, a staggeringly low rate from the company through which Dolan owns millions in stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and other investment vehicles. For comparison, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate for the U.S. in 2021 was between 2.7% and 3.2%, according to the Federal Reserve. That year, credit card interest rates were 14.6%, according to the Fed, and 24-month personal loans were 9.4%.”
Quote of the Week:
Bernie Moreno on the Brandon Boxer Show: “Well, you know, it’s just kind of pathetic that Frank’s trying to use the loss and Issue One where a lot of conservatives put their blood, sweat and tears and really use it to advance his Senate campaign. The reality is this, Boxer, that Frank went out and raised money into a super PAC for six or seven months, a super PAC, that he completely controlled the money. He allegedly raised over a million dollars, ironically, from mostly out-of-state people and didn’t direct one cent of that money to Issue One.”
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