Eric Conroy, Trump's pick for Congress in OH-1, claims modest means. Records show up to $966K.

Eric Conroy, the Trump-endorsed Republican running to flip Ohio’s 1st Congressional District in November, told a Cincinnati radio audience in February that he has “been a government employee for most of my life” and doesn’t “have a lot of money.” His federal financial disclosures tell a different story.

Conroy’s personal financial disclosure, filed with the U.S. House Clerk in August, lists total assets valued between $361,008 and $966,000 — a portfolio built almost entirely on cryptocurrency. He has also loaned his own congressional campaign $287,500 of personal money since late September, Federal Election Commission records show.

The disclosures surfaced the same week Conroy’s path to the Republican nomination got considerably easier. Cincinnati-area dentist Dr. Steven Erbeck suspended his campaign Monday, leaving Conroy — a former CIA case officer identified as the primary frontrunner by the Cook Political Report — with two remaining rivals in the May 5 primary: Holly Adams and Rosemary Oglesby-Henry. Trump endorsed Conroy on April 14. Erbeck cited “party unity” in his withdrawal statement.

Conroy’s campaign has also leaned on claims of humble origins that his résumé does not support. In responses to an Ohio Capital Journal questionnaire earlier this year, Conroy told voters, “I wasn’t born into privilege or connections.” His own campaign biography lists Elder High School — a private Catholic school in Cincinnati — followed by a U.S. Air Force Academy appointment, service as an Air Force captain and CIA case officer, and a graduate degree from Columbia University in 2025.

The financial filings describe a wealthy candidate. Conroy’s three largest disclosed holdings — each in the $100,001 to $250,000 range — are shares of the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, shares of the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, and a federal Thrift Savings Plan account. Additional crypto-linked positions in MicroStrategy, a Grayscale Ethereum trust, and two other bitcoin-related funds fall in the $15,001 to $50,000 range, as does a Volkswagen SUV. The filing lists just $4,800 in reported salary income, from a consulting role with Berg Enterprises, along with a deferred federal pension from his time in the Air Force and CIA.

The three campaign self-loans — $150,000 on September 22, $130,000 on September 25, and $7,500 on September 30 — were booked at zero percent interest and are due by the end of next year.

Outside money has piled on top. Red Bridge Leadership PAC, an independent committee set up to support Conroy, announced $200,000 raised in an October press release. FEC receipts show its largest donors include $100,000 from Alabama-based First Principles Digital and $93,000 from Ohio-based Fyda Inc. One entry stands out for its timing: a $90,000 contribution from Conroy’s father, Gary Conroy, booked September 30 — the same day the candidate’s own campaign logged the last of its three personal loans.

The winner of the May 5 primary will face incumbent Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman, who is running for reelection and faces Damon Lynch IV in his own primary. The 1st District was redrawn in October to lean more Republican, and the general election is rated a toss-up.