Soup kitchen operator blasts Ryan photo op: ‘He did nothing’

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The operator of a soup kitchen in northeastern Ohio blasted the Romney campaign on Monday after vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan and his family were photographed cleaning dishes on the premises.

Brian Antal, president of the Mahoning County St. Vincent De Paul Society in Youngstown, told the Washington Post that the Romney campaign did not ask for permission before entering the soup kitchen. He said he worried his faith-based apolitical organization could lose funding if it appeared the charity favored one of the political candidates.

“It’s strictly in our bylaws not to do it,” Antal explained. “They showed up there, and they did not have permission. They got one of the volunteers to open up the doors.”

“The photo-op they did wasn’t even accurate,” he added. “He did nothing. He just came in here to get his picture taken at the dining hall.”

During Ryan’s appearance at the soup kitchen on October 13, he briefly talked with volunteers before donning an apron and cleaning some large metal pots. Antal noted that the dishes were not dirty. The soup kitchen had already closed down for the day.

Watch video, courtesy of CBS News, below:

[Ed. note: Corrections made after publication]