A GOP congressman already humiliated over lies on his Tinder profile is now facing more serious allegations that he fabricated his business background.
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.), who narrowly won election in 2024, is being accused of résumé padding by Democrats, according to The Guardian. Mackenzie has been accused of "embellishing his résumé "with private-sector real estate experience amid a bitter fight to hold his Pennsylvania seat.
According to the report, Mackenzie's LinkedIn profile and campaign biographies have described him as "a real estate salesperson licensed in PA," listing it as his former profession.
However, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee told The Guardian the embattled lawmaker "fabricated a career ... that never existed," and noted Mackenzie's campaign would not say "whether he ever used his real estate license or made any sales," and his office did not respond to questions about the Tinder allegations or reports that a staffer scrubbed the episode from his Wikipedia page.
Mackenzie is defending Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, which "he won in 2024 by just 1 percentage point." He's running against Democrat Bob Brooks, former president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, and has called Brooks a "fraud," a "conman," a "lobbyist" and a "dumpster fire candidate." Mackenzie's campaign manager said Brooks has "all the hallmarks of a common criminal."
"Ryan Mackenzie was already disgustingly caught lying about his age on his Tinder profile by nearly 10 years. Now it looks like Mackenzie and his allies have embellished his résumé and fabricated a career in real estate that never existed," DCCC spokesperson Eli Cousin said in a statement. "The truth is that Mackenzie is a career politician who has seemingly never worked a day in his life outside of politics."
Mackenzie's Tinder profile, which surfaced in 2024, listed his age as 29 in 2020, when he was actually 37 — an eight-year gap. His office did not deny the allegations at the time, according to The Guardian.
