Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s health isn’t the only thing concerning about the Democratic Senate candidate as a watchdog organization revealed Tuesday his campaign may have committed an ethics violation regarding financial disclosures.
Since Fetterman’s opponent, Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz secured a primary victory, the serial moocher and socialism proponent has worked to distinguish himself as just another hard-working member of the Commonwealth. After calling out the celebrity doctor for his wealth and success, namely his real estate portfolio, it would appear the lieutenant governor may have attempted to keep his own assets a secret.
The ethics watchdog organization Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust looked into Allegheny County records where Fetterman’s home is located and found the surrounding properties in Braddock, Pa., where he was mayor all belong to him as well.
While only one of the lots was detailed to have a structure on it, the fact remains that in Fetterman’s financial disclosure filed on July 29, 2022, the candidate only reported his residence as owned real estate.
In a complaint to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics addressed to Chairman Chris Coons (D-De.) and Vice Chairman James Lankford (R-Ok.), FACT requested an immediate investigation into “whether Senate candidate John Fetterman failed to report numerous assets in violation of federal law and Senate rules.”
“Under the disclosure requirements, each candidate and Senator must file a financial disclosure statement that provides a ‘full and complete’ statement of their assets, debts, and income, as well as any positions held outside of the Senate,” the letter explained.
Nicholas Gavio, a spokesperson for Fetterman, defended the lack of disclosure and told the Daily Mail, “These properties don’t produce any income and are not investment properties, so John did not need to disclose them.”
However, the watchdog group continued, “With respect to assets, a candidate or Member must ‘report the complete identity and category of value of any interest in property…with a fair market value exceeding $1,000 as of the close of the reporting period.'”
As detailed in their chart, only one of the eight properties that Fetterman had failed to disclose had been assessed under the $1,000 threshold, but they believe that the value has likely increased since that report.
Meanwhile, in August the Democrat had engaged in a Twitter bout with Dr. Oz over the wealthy Republican’s framing of his own considerable assets. As previously reported, Oz had been called out for owning 10 properties, which unlike Fetterman had been disclosed, after having downplayed his real estate portfolio when he had previously only mentioned his two homes.
Wealthy Dr Oz and ‘mooch-of-your-parents’ Dem opponent throwdown in 5th-grade-level Twitter war https://t.co/xoV3YiiGKg pic.twitter.com/Q8bCDj0z7S
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) August 18, 2022
In an attack against Oz that aged poorly in just a few short weeks, Fetterman spokesperson Emilia Rowland had tried to slam the Republican when speaking with CBS arguing, “A house? A property? An investment property? What? Dr. Oz is so out of touch that he doesn’t even get that real people–people who he claims he will fight for in Washington–don’t care about the difference.”
At the time of this posting, neither Fetterman, Oz nor members of the Ethics committee had commented on FACT’s request for an investigation.
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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