Read previewBernie Moreno, the GOP nominee for US Senate in Ohio, has long staked his political identity on the car dealership empire he once oversaw.
Related storiesBut Moreno benefited from Mercedes-Benz's push for diversity in more ways than one.
"They wanted a minority operator there," Moreno said during the 2014 hearing, according to a transcript obtained by Business Insider.
Despite Moreno acknowledging that he benefited from Mercedes-Benz considering diversity when deciding who could buy the dealership, he maintains that he is opposed to affirmative action programs.
Moreno is set to face incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio in a race that could determine which party controls the Senate.
Persons:
—, Bernie Moreno, Moreno, Roger Penske, Mercedes, Reagan McCarthy, Bernie, McCarthy, Democratic Sen, Sherrod Brown of, Brown, Donald Trump
Organizations:
Service, GOP, US, Business, Republicans, Penske Corporation, Benz, Penske, YWCA Greater, Mercedes, Penske Automotive Group, Democratic
Locations:
Ohio, Colombia, United States, Boston, North Olmsted , Ohio, Arizona —, YWCA Greater Cleveland, Florida, Chandler , Arizona, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Massachusetts