Americablog: Bush Wrapped Up In Ohio's Coin-gate Scandal

[Hissyspit]

Previous thread on this issue with AP article:
Bush Returning Campaign Contributions from Noe

And Joe at Americablog's take on it:

Bush wrapped up in Ohio's Coin-gate Scandal...
by Joe in DC - 6/3/2005 11:32:00 AM

Well, this Ohio GOP coin-gate story has gone national.

Today's Toledo Blade reports that Bush is returning the direct contribution his campaign received from Tom Noe and his wife. That's $4,000. However, the Bush campaign isn't giving back all the money Noe raised...and Noe was a "Bush Pioneer." That fundraising by Noe is currently the subject of a federal grand jury investigation (which is getting really interesting as you will see below):

President Bush will return $4,000 in campaign contributions donated by Toledo area coin dealer Tom Noe and his wife, officials said yesterday.

A spokesman said the Republican National Committee will also return $2,000 contributed by Mr. Noe, who is facing multiple investigations for allegedly misappropriating at least $10 million in state money and possible federal campaign finance violations. The money will be refunded to charity.

But President Bush will not — at least for now — return more than $100,000 raised by Mr. Noe for his re-election bid last year, said Aaron McLear, a spokesman for the RNC. Democrats continue to call on the President to return all of the “tainted” money raised by Mr. Noe.

Follow the money...wasn't that what Deep Throat said?

And, it sures looks like that money Noe raised for Bush might not be legit according to today's Plain Dealer:

H. Douglas Talbott, a former top aide to two Ohio governors, told federal authorities that Republican coin dealer Tom Noe persuaded him to contribute $2,000 to President Bush's re-election campaign - then reimbursed him for the donation, The Plain Dealer has learned.

Talbott appeared Wednesday before a federal grand jury in Toledo that is investigating whether Noe illegally reimbursed as many as two dozen contributors to a Bush fund-raiser in October 2003. The grand jury is looking into whether Noe made the reimbursements to circumvent campaign finance laws, which limit individual contributions to $2,000.

Um....if that's what happened, it's illegal. We've got a full-blown, national GOP scandal going now.

[Al-CIAda]

1. We've got a full-blown, national GOP scandal going now.

Exxxcellent.

[fob]

2. The GOP has been a full-blown national scandal for 40 plus years

I just hope this tears it apart for good this time.

I wonder if that guy got his $2000 back in the form of fancy valuable COINS?

[benburch]

3. Smithers! Release the hounds!

http://www.tunl.duke.edu.nyud.net:8090/images/burns-smithers.gif

[realFedUp]

4. can we get an audit please

and not by Arthur Andersen...

[mod mom]

5. Noe regularly communicated with Rove prior to the election. Check out

the connection to Noe , Diebold and the Lucas County BOE from the DU election results forum:

www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=371800&mesg_id=371800

[Al-CIAda]

6. .