Ohio GOP Senate candidate plans new car dealership amid scrutiny of his businesses

Bernie Moreno, the Republican Senate nominee in Ohio whose past as a car dealer has been mocked and scrutinized by his Democratic rival, is preparing a return to the auto industry.

In a recently filed personal financial disclosure statement, Moreno identified himself as a manager of two companies — including a realty business that he lists as an asset — that, according to public records, are developing a Mercedes-Benz dealership.

Moreno, who has said several times during his bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown that he sold off all of his businesses to avoid conflicts of interest, confirmed his involvement in an interview. He described himself as an investor in the venture, which will be run by his son Kevin.

Construction on the Columbus-area dealership is not expected to break ground until around the time of the November election, Moreno said, adding that, if he wins, he plans to relinquish his stake in the realty company. Moreno said that because the company is not yet generating revenue or providing income, he does not consider it an operating business like those he divested from as part of his campaign promise.

“I got rid of all my operating businesses, anything that would have given me a conflict,” Moreno said in an interview in May with Kitco News, which covers the precious metals market and cryptocurrency, another business in which Moreno has invested.

In a video interview with a local GOP official this year, Moreno also characterized his divestments as a way to free him up for a grueling campaign against Brown.

“I knew defeating Sherrod Brown was going to be very difficult. What did I do? I sold every one of my businesses, made sure I had no conflicts of interest, so that I could focus my complete