Republican Bernie Moreno’s rags-to-riches story exposed as a lie

A New York Times report from May 12 revealed that Ohio U.S. candidate Bernie Moreno lied about the details of his hardscrabble upbringing. Now, an unearthed radio interview is shedding light on how long Moreno has been telling that lie.

Moreno, a wealthy Republican who owns a chain of car dealerships, launched his campaign last year. He will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in November. The race is considered a bellwether for which party will control the Senate.

Moreno’s family immigrated to the United States from Colombia when he was five years old. They settled in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Moreno has stated that he, his six siblings, and his parents came to the country “with nothing” and moved into a “two-bedroom apartment.” He described his upbringing as “lower middle class.”

The New York Times says this is an embellishment. Moreno’s family was wealthy in Colombia and politically connected. His father was an American-educated physician who held positions in the upper echelons of the Colombian government. When Moreno’s family came to the United States in 1971, they bought a three bedroom seaside condominium. 

Within four months, Moreno’s family relocated to a four-bedroom house in Pompano Beach. The home had a pool and ocean access.

The New York Times dated Moreno’s misrepresentations to at least 2023. But, as heard in a 2021 interview on the Bruce Hooley Show, Moreno made similar statements during his failed 2022 campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Hooley asked Moreno about his immigrant background.

“We moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, moved the seven of us, plus my mom and dad moved into a two bedroom apartment in Pompano Beach, Florida,” Moreno said.

This narrative is central to Moreno’s campaign pitch. In his campaign launch video, he connects his immigrant experience to his status as a political outsider. He says that policies of both parties have failed Ohioans. Despite this, most of the priorities listed on his campaign website are standard Republican proposals.

Moreno is not the only Republican U.S. Senate candidate to obfuscate about a supposedly austere past. Last month, it was reported that Pennsylvania candidate David McCormick’s claims of growing up on a farm were largely exaggerated. In Wisconsin, candidate Eric Hovde has come under scrutiny for touting his Wisconsin roots while spending the last several years living a lavish lifestyle in Orange County, California.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Reports rates Ohio’s senate race as a toss up.