Ohio Rep. who defends squatters' rights has tried evicting tenants from her properties: report

Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, has been a champion of squatters' rights, but recent documents show that she has filed eviction notices against tenants for properties she owns. 

According to documents obtained by Fox News, Kaptur filed eviction notices in 2021, 2023 and 2024 against tenants for "nonpayment of rent," a noise complaint, an animal complaint and an unauthorized person living in the property.

Kaptur has a history of defending squatters' rights and spoke out against foreclosure evictions during the 2008 recession, the outlet reports. 

Those recent eviction filings were eventually withdrawn by Kaptur. She is currently running for her 22nd term in Congress. 

Her campaign pushed back against the report and said that her property manager was the one who filed the evictions. 

"Rep. Kaptur purchased a vacant property in her neighborhood more than 30 years ago," the campaign told Fox News. "She fixed it up and hired a property manager to oversee and lease it. Matters like those referenced in this story are handled by the property manager, and while the name of a property owner is required to appear on the filings you reference, they were not initiated or directed by Rep. Kaptur. Rep. Kaptur has never personally filed to evict anyone."

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Kaptur co-sponsored legislation mandating eviction moratoriums so landlords couldn't kick tenants out until at least six months after the pandemic emergency declaration had expired. At one point she stated, "Keeping Americans affordably and stably housed during this pandemic is both a moral imperative and a public health necessity."