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The GOP hopeful is trying to explain why an account on an adult website that was allegedly linked to him sought men for sex.
Prominent Republican Ohio U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, once lauded for his advocacy and support within the LGBTQ+ community, now faces scrutiny over his current hardline conservative political positions and a past linked to an adult website profile.
Moreno, who secured an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, vaulted into the top tier of contenders in the GOP primary race, aiming to dethrone Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. However, his campaign has been overshadowed by revelations regarding a 2008 profile on Adult Friend Finder seeking “Men for 1-on-1 sex,” which was associated with an email account accessible to Moreno, the Associated Press reports.
Moreno's lawyer attributes the profile to a prank by a former intern, but the discovery has ignited conversations within both political and LGBTQ+ circles.
Moreno, a 57-year-old car dealership magnate and public office candidate, has markedly shifted his stance on LGBTQ issues. Born in Colombia and raised in a wealthy family before immigrating to Florida and becoming a U.S. citizen at 18, Moreno built a vast auto dealership empire after purchasing his first dealership in 2005.
Charles Harder, an attorney for Moreno, provided The Advocate with clarification regarding the Adult Friend Finder profile allegedly linked to Moreno. Harder wrote in a letter that in 2008, an intern named Dan Ricci, who had access to the auto business’s public email, created the profile as a prank without Moreno’s knowledge or involvement. According to Harder, the account was active for merely six hours, never accessed again, and remained unused for any purpose, lacking even a profile photo. Andrew Conru, founder of Adult Friend Finder, confirmed these details in a tweet.
Moreno’s journey into public discourse on LGBTQ+ rights began on a note of acceptance and support. Notably, when Cleveland and Akron secured the 2014 Gay Games, an event celebrating LGBTQ+ athletes, Moreno's business backed the initiative financially, emphasizing the importance of community support for such events in a Crain’s Cleveland Business opinion piece.
He also publicly acknowledged the role of the ABC hit Modern Family in changing perceptions of same-sex marriage, praising the show for its positive representation. However, according to the AP, his point of view changed significantly as Moreno ventured into politics. During his previous Senate run in 2021, he began to retract his previous endorsements of LGBTQ+ rights, including distancing himself from the antidiscrimination legislation he had supported.
Moreno’s current campaign has taken a further right turn, with accusations leveled against LGBTQ+ rights advocates of pushing a “radical indoctrination” agenda. His alignment with Ohio Value Voters, a group opposing LGBTQ rights, and the issuance of campaign advertisements targeting his opponents as proponents of a “radical trans agenda,” signify a stark departure from his prior advocacies.
The situation raises questions about the sincerity of political candidates’ support for LGBTQ+ rights and the impact of such shifts on voter trust and perception.
“[It’s] a real shame,” said Maria Bruno, public policy director for LGBTQ+ rights organization Equality Ohio.
