I married to get a Green Card to the States, admits pharma boss Sheridan

If elected Ireland’s youngest ever head of State, the millionaire businessman Gareth Sheridan said he has no intention of giving back the citizenship he obtained under controversial circumstances.

Describing how he became a US citizen following his campaign launch this week, Mr Sheridan said: "We got married initially in America, then we had our big ceremony back in Kildare. Our initial wedding was more of a means to stay together – more I would get my Green Card, essentially."

Pressed further about his marriage to his American-born wife Heidi, he replied: "Yeah exactly, it was solely [to get a Green Card], we would have had to split up.

"Heidi and I were very serious at that point. We said we would jump the gun on what we already discussed would be a wedding in our near future.

"I think absolutely I will hold onto it [American citizenship]. I travel on my Irish passport. I am an Irish person before anything else."

If he were to win, Mr Sheridan would be the first president since Eamon de Valera to have US citizenship.

The Dublin-born businessman made the admission in an interview a day after he launched his campaign on Thursday.

He is hoping to get on the Presidential ticket by persuading members of four local authorities to nominate him as a candidate.

According to the pharma businessman, two people on four local authorities have agreed to propose and second him as a potential candidate, and he claims to have had a favorable response from four other councils. But he will need the approval of four councils to enter the race.

Independent Senator Sharon Keogan is helping his campaign.

Born on Dublin’s southside, Gareth Sheridan grew up in Terenure and was educated at the fee-paying Terenure College.

After studying at the Dublin Institute of Technology he emigrated to America, where the father of one made his fortune through his company Nutriband, which developed a range of products using patches to administer vitamins and other medications.

After selling the company, he then rebought the business, and the company has since developed a patch to administer painkillers.

However, the company has been linked to controversies, some of which were highlighted this week as Mr Sheridan prepared his Presidential launch. The young businessman and a business partner were both fined $25,000 by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for providing misleading information about some of their company’s products.

Three associates involved in Mr Sheridan’s company – Serguei Melnik, Sergei Glinka, and Vitalie Botgros – have found themselves at the centre of separate corruption investigations in Moldova and Romania.

There have also been allegations of money laundering, suitcases of cash, creditors being left without their money and threats to national security.

Mr Melnick was a shareholder in a company that took over the Republic of Maldova’s flag carrier, Air Moldova.

But after the deal went through, the Moldovan equivalent of the Criminal Assets Bureau seized the assets of both firms amid claims of "large scale money laundering’ and ‘fictional transactions".

Mr Melnick is currently at the helm of Nutriband while his business partner is on the campaign trail to become Ireland’s next President.

It has also been reported that authorities in Romania are investigating their colleague, Sergei Glinka, over a deal that may pose national security concerns. Both Mr Glinka and Mr Botgros worked for a now-sanctioned Russian railway company called Makhmudov, which has been linked to the sanctioned Russian billionaire, Iskander Makhmudov.

Asked about his three associates who have found themselves at the center of various corruption probes and allegations, Mr Sheridan first defended them by claiming their backgrounds had been checked by various regulators.

But he was unable to give assurances that he did thorough background checks on his business associates. And when asked if the three men, who have a major stake in his company, are ‘squeaky clean’, the millionaire replied: "Well, I don’t know" – before adding: "If the narrative is that I have some sort of Russian ties, it’s absolutely 100% categorically false. I’m saying [I’m] nowhere near it – 100%, not tied to any of that. I’m getting [described as] 'Russian stooge' in one sentence and 'MAGA [Make America Great Again] enthusiast' on the next.

"I mean, that doesn’t mesh very well, but I’m a proud Irishman who wants to do a good job and that’s what I am."

Mr Sheridan moved back to Ireland with his wife Heidi and the couple’s adopted daughter Roe in February after deciding late last year to put himself forward as a candidate to succeed President Michael D Higgins.

Despite making housing his campaign pitch for the Áras, the 35-year-old admitted he does not have a solution of how to solve the crises that bedeviled successive governments.

"Well, I don’t have the answers to it right now. Collectively, as a country, we need to bring in more voices on it, particularly the younger generations.

"Wouldn’t it be a beautiful thing if the younger generations' energy, enthusiasm and entrepreneurship was involved and paired with all the experience of the older generations?"

Asked why he is seeking the ceremonial role of President rather than trying to make a difference on the ground by contesting local or Dáil elections, he replied: "I’m not a politician. It depends on how you look at it – what I’m trying to do is encourage younger participation. If they feel they have a figurehead that they can relate to and represents them.

"One person going into the Dáil, if it was me – to try and enact changes doesn’t happen, but encouraging a whole generation of people to now pick up interest and feel like they have a voice, then we’re setting a movement."

* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.