AP - Coin Dealer Admits Illegal Donations

[DoYouEverWonder]

May 31, 2006, 4:22 PM EDT

TOLEDO, Ohio -- A coin dealer and prominent GOP fundraiser at the center of an Ohio political scandal pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges he illegally funneled donations to President Bush's re-election campaign.

Tom Noe, once a powerful political figure who also raised money for Ohio Republicans, still is charged with embezzlement in an ill-fated $50 million coin investment that he managed for the state workers' compensation fund.

The investment scandal has been a major embarrassment for Ohio's ruling Republicans and given Democrats a better shot at winning state offices this year, including the governor's office that has been under GOP control since 1991.

Investigators have not been able to find out if Noe used money from the state coin fund for campaign contributions.

Noe was charged with exceeding federal campaign contribution limits, using others to make the contributions and causing the Bush campaign to submit a false campaign-finance statement.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-coin-dealer-donations,0,5725085.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines

[LiberalHeart]

1. Link to a story with more detail (What will Bush do with the dough now?)

http://wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=4971180

[truthisfreedom]

2. every single one of those people who helped him with this conspiracy

should do time.

[LiberalHeart]

6. I disagree.

One got the whole scheme uncovered.

[stepnw1f]

15. I'm with You

Hell... I know a kid who can't get a job because he was busted with possesion. What happens to these dirtbags who break the law and shit on our Constitution. And yet, the GOP wants to make "flag burning" and issue. What a bunch of low-end gene poolers.

[leesa]

3. He forgot the obligatory reference to jeeezus, whom he luvs and prays

to every day.

[Roland99]

4. Anyone guilty of illegal campaign donations needs to be BARRED FOR LIFE

from future contributions.

[SharonRB]

5. Just heard this on CNN news during Randi's show

This is wonderful news. He needs to bring Blackwell and everyone else in Ohio who took part in this fraud with him.

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. Can we void the last election

and throw out all the thieves?

[SharonRB]

9. I only wish.

Start packing, George. John and Theresa are moving in tomorrow!

[987654321]

8. My head is spinning!

It is getting harder and harder to keep track of all of the scandals involving republicans in public office, their lobbyist friends and their supporters across the country. It makes my head hurt sometimes trying to figure out all of the illegal stuff they are doing. I'm not even kidding! This latest story actually gave me a headache because I think I'm having some kind of republican corruption overload.

[SharonRB]

10. Mine, too

I just read the front page of RawStory and I don't know what to read first.

Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[gratuitous]

11. Just Another Bipartisan Scandal

How can I call it bipartisan? Because every one of those corrupt Republican politicians had to run against a Democrat! If there hadn't been any Democrats to run against, they never would have needed to make illegal contributions! Bipartisan, QED baby!

Once again, Freeper logic runs rings around DU.

:crazy:

[Supersedeas]

12. and runs rings around an accomodating Media

[Initech]

13. And the Culture of Corruption lives on!

[superconnected]

14. republicans... just can't seem to stay out of jail.

What are we at for the year .. 2 dems | 20 repukes indited..?

[Bullshot]

16. Noe pleads guilty to illegally funneling money to Bush campaign

The Toledo Blade today reported that Bush campaign Pioneer fundraiser Tom Noe was illegally funneling money to the Bush campaign.

The entire report can be found on the home page at:

www.toledoblade.com

[Just Me]

17. I'm not familiar with them, could you summarize HOW the illegal,...

,...funneling took place, PUH-LEASE? :hug:

[sandnsea]

19. Through these people

What I'm gathering, he held a big fundraiser and then helped the donors funnel through these people: "The Noe probe identified several current and former politicians as “conduits,” including Toledo City Councilman Betty Shultz, Lucas County Commissioner Maggie Thurber, former Toledo mayor Donna Owens, and former state representative Sally Perz."

[Toucano]

24. I have been told that Noe GAVE the money for 10 people

to make the maximum contribution to Bush/Cheney. It may have been disguised as a fundraiser event, however.

Since all his money came from the embezzeled money from the state, he basically stole money from Ohio workers (and employers) and gave it to Bush.

[sandnsea]

25. I really don't know

I was just posting what the article said. That's why I added the caveat, "as I understand it", because I'm not sure. Maybe this is what he pled guilty to, some sort of plea arrangement, I don't know. Sad actually, because I really should know, this just hasn't been high on my list of scandals to follow. Says alot about how many scandals there are when we can't even keep the barest facts straight on each of them.

But oh boy, everybody is going to know that Reid went to a boxing match and Jefferson got his kids jobs.

[reality based]

18. The Toledo Blade deserved a Pulitzer Prize for their reporting on Noe and

Republican Party corruption in Ohio.

[1932]

21. Yet, according to a reporter at the paper, they knew before 11/04 but

waited until after to print the story.

[Supersedeas]

23. more post election disclosures from the 'independent' media???

[global1]

20. Does That Mean That Somebody Was Illegally Receiving The....

money that he was funneling to the * campaign?

[FtWayneBlue]

22. From same source, earlier article:

"Federal prosecutors have alleged that Mr. Noe gave more than $45,000 to two dozen people to contribute to the Bush-Cheney campaign in October, 2003. For helping to raise more than $100,000 for the campaign, Mr. Noe was labeled a Bush “Pioneer.”

In October, after months of grand jury testimony, a federal grand jury indicted Mr. Noe for exceeding federal campaign limits, saying that he “knowingly and willfully” used others to make the contributions, and that he caused the Bush campaign to file a false campaign-finance statement."