Sherrod Brown calls for financial transparency, yet concealed substantial assets for years.

Ohio Democrat attacked GOP opponent for late financial disclosures before botching his own

During his second Senate run, Sherrod ​Brown launched a scathing attack on his Republican ⁤opponent for failing to disclose financial holdings. However, the ⁣Ohio Democrat ‌has now ⁤admitted that he himself‍ failed to ‌disclose hundreds‌ of thousands of dollars in assets.

Brown recently confessed in⁣ a letter to the Senate Office of Public Records that he neglected⁤ to include his⁢ wife’s⁤ retirement accounts, which are valued at up to $750,000, ‍in his financial disclosures. Shockingly, Brown’s incomplete financial disclosures date back to 2007, when he first ‌joined the ​Senate. The Senate requires both members ‍and candidates to disclose their spouse’s assets,​ including retirement accounts.

This failure to disclose assets directly contradicts the campaign rhetoric Brown employed during his Senate reelection bid.‌ In 2012, Brown fiercely criticized his Republican challenger, Josh Mandel, for filing his⁣ financial disclosure six months late. Brown argued in a blog post that this blunder demonstrated Mandel’s untrustworthiness. Even Brown’s⁣ former communications director, Justin Barasky, went so far as to claim that Mandel “broke the law and illegally refused ‍to disclose his ⁢personal finances,” which he deemed “completely unacceptable.”

“The lack of transparency‍ Ohioans‍ are seeing from our absentee treasurer ⁤is completely unacceptable,” Barasky stated in 2011.⁤ “Josh Mandel is in violation of the law.”

This is not ⁣the first time Brown has faced scrutiny over financial matters. On at ‍least seven occasions, ​Brown failed to pay property taxes on time. Additionally, for‌ years, ‌the Democrat ⁤claimed primary residence tax credits on two Ohio‌ properties, saving him over $1,000. Ironically, Brown, ​who chairs ⁢the Senate⁢ Banking Committee, has been ⁣vocal about his‍ efforts to “crackdown on⁤ wealthy tax cheats.”

The undisclosed assets‍ in Brown’s financial disclosures include ‍a mutual fund valued between $250,001 and $500,000, as well as ‌a pension plan valued between $100,001 and $250,000. These ⁣assets were accumulated by Brown’s wife, journalist Connie Schultz, during her time as a Plain Dealer reporter and Kent State University ‌professor.

Brown’s campaign manager, Rachel ⁤Petri,‍ released a statement to the ⁢ Washington Free Beacon acknowledging the oversight, stating ⁢that ⁤”Connie’s retirement was not ‍included” ⁣in Brown’s disclosures​ and‍ that “the previous reports⁣ have now been updated.” However, Petri did not provide an explanation for the oversight.

Brown’s financial disclosure fiasco comes ⁢at‍ a critical ‍time as he​ faces a tough ⁣reelection battle⁤ in⁤ Ohio. The state, which​ supported former President Donald⁢ Trump by 8 percentage points in ⁣both 2016​ and 2020, poses a significant challenge ⁤for the ⁢Democrat. Recent polling indicates a tight race, with Brown tied with Ohio Secretary of State⁢ Frank ⁢LaRose (R.) at 45 percent, according to a July⁣ USA Today poll.