An Associated Press review has found businessman and Trump-backed Ohio U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno faced lawsuits alleging discrimination against employees before he sold his high-end Cleveland car dealership
COLUMBUS, Ohio — COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Bernie Moreno, a Trump-backed candidate for Ohio's crucial U.S. Senate seat who touts his success in business, faced multiple lawsuits alleging discrimination against employees in the run-up to the sale of his high-end Cleveland car dealership, an Associated Press review has found.
Three discrimination suits were filed in Cuyahoga County between 2015 and 2017. Two accused Moreno and Bernie Moreno Cos. of gender and age discrimination, respectively. The third, in which Moreno was not named, alleged race discrimination against a dealership run by a BMC subsidiary.
A campaign spokesman said that the two employees who sued Moreno directly now support his Republican U.S. Senate campaign and that Moreno, who was born in Bogotá, Colombia, prided himself on giving equal opportunities to all his workers.
Moreno's performance in business was cited by former President Donald Trump as he endorsed Moreno in the three-way primary with Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan last month.
“Bernie Moreno, a highly respected businessman from the GREAT State of Ohio, is exactly the type of MAGA fighter that we need in the United States Senate,” Trump said, using the acronym of his “Make America Great Again” slogan.
The discrimination claims come to light as Republican support has begun to coalesce behind Moreno since Trump's endorsement, with recent endorsements by U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan and former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. The winner of the GOP primary
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