The Associated Press on Thursday published a vile and defamatory article attacking Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, despite debunking the allegations in its article and withholding key evidence that further undermined the article’s legitimacy. Posted.
The hit story involves a profile posted in 2008 on a casual sexual encounter website called Adult Friend Finder. The profile, exposed in a website data breach, was created using internal emails and literature used on the website of a company owned by Moreno. According to the Associated Press, the caption on the profile, which has no photo and was last accessed about six hours after it was created, reads, “Looking for a young man to have fun with while traveling.” It is said that he is suffering.
Despite a sworn statement by a former intern at Moreno’s company, the Associated Press said the intern created a profile as a “youth prankster” using email addresses controlled by staff members, including the intern, suggesting Moreno’s possible involvement. A hit article was broadcast that questioned the The Associated Press, by its own admission, lacked evidence linking Moreno to the account.
Additionally, the AP excluded key evidence in its possession submitted by Moreno’s lawyers and excerpted only one sentence from his statement provided to the AP. A statement from Charles Harder, Moreno’s legal advisor, read:
Sixteen years ago, an intern at Moreno Auto created an AFF account as a prank, but abandoned it the same day. We have a copy of a signed letter from the intern acknowledging this and a former vice president of Mr. Moreno’s company confirming that the intern was employed at the time the account in question was created. provided AP with a copy of another signed letter from. The email address in question was not Mr. Barney’s personal email address, but an email address that was posted on his company’s website and materials and maintained by a staff member. Multiple people had access to it, including this intern. Bernie Moreno had no connection to the AFF account. According to metadata, the AFF account was never used, no communications or contacts were sent to or received from his other AFF accounts, and no photos or content were ever uploaded. . The AFF account didn’t exist for half a day 16 years ago.
Breitbart News obtained a copy of a signed letter from Helder Rosa, a former vice president at Bernie Moreno Companies, confirming that Ricci interned during the period in question and that the intern He said his assigned duties included checking email and responding to inquiries from senior management.
The Associated Press did not publish Rosa’s full statement and cut out relevant information. Importantly, the Associated Press does not acknowledge that the email account was controlled by a staff member and that multiple staff members within the company, including interns, had access to the email address used to create the AFF profile. did. The blockbuster also denied that the AFF account was never actually used.
A signed statement from former intern Rich said:
I’m very embarrassed that about 20 years ago I pulled a prank on my friend and former boss Bernie Moreno that ended in failure. I am one of many people in the company who has access to his public email account (bernie@clevelandporsche.com) and created the adult friend search account in question. It was part of a youth prank, obviously not malicious, but ultimately never experienced. Bernie and I have been good friends for over 15 years, but I never imagined that years later this stupid prank would be used to harm my friend. I am proud of Bernie and all he has accomplished over the years and would like to apologize to him and his family for the damage this foolish act has caused.
Donald Trump has endorsed Moreno in the Senate race and led a rally in support of his campaign in Ohio on Saturday. The winner of Tuesday, March 19th’s primary will face Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in November.
