Bush campaign fund-raiser indicted
Thu Oct 27, 2005 6:12 PM ET17
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A prominent Republican fund-raiser for President George W. Bush in Ohio has been charged with illegally funneling money to Bush's re-election campaign, a federal prosecutor said on Thursday.
A federal grand jury in Toledo charged Thomas Noe with making illegal contributions in the names of others to the Bush campaign and with making false statements to the Federal Election Commission.
The three counts lodged against Noe each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine.
A separate investigation is examining a money-losing investment in rare coins Noe made for the state of Ohio.
The indictment alleged Noe had pledged to raise $50,000 for a fund-raiser for the Bush campaign held in Ohio on October 30, 2003. Tickets to the event cost $2,000 each. It said Noe disguised $45,400 in personal contributions by recruiting and providing money to 24 friends and associates who made the contributions in their names so he could avoid the individual campaign contribution limit of $2,000.
In some cases, Noe's reimbursements to contributors differed just slightly from the amount provided to the campaign to try to disguise their purpose, according to U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Gregory White, who announced the indictment.
Noe's lawyer, William Wilkinson, said he had not seen the indictment and could not comment.
The 2003 event raised $1.4 million for the Bush campaign. In 2004, Bush won Ohio by more than 100,000 votes over Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry, and the state was decisive in Bush's re-election.
Bush and at least 17 elected Ohio officials, including Republican Gov. Bob Taft and both the state's U.S. senators, returned campaign contributions from Noe when irregularities were revealed in newspaper articles earlier this year. The Bush campaign returned $4,000, while Taft gave back more than $22,000.
Another state grand jury is looking into Noe's $50 million investment in rare coins on behalf of Ohio's Bureau of Worker's Compensation. Noe, a coin dealer from Maumee, Ohio, has said up to $13 million is missing from the investment, and Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro has accused Noe of stealing at least $4 million of it.
In August, Taft pleaded guilty to ethics violations and agreed to pay a $4,000 fine for unreported gifts and golf outings. Noe paid for at least one of the golf outings.
This guy caused quite a mess with our BWC! No wonder people in Ohio have a hard time evening using their BWC benefits. Between this guy, Blackwell and Taft, the state is in a real mess. And, McCain is backing Blackwell, the thug who made it difficult for the African American public to vote, for Governor of this state. When asked about it, McCain refused to comment. Turns out he's never even met Blackwell. I had a bit of respect for McCain until I read that tidbit. How's that for heavy handed politics - using the respect people have for him to back someone who is known in African American circles as Uncle Tom!
Cheryl
[ edited by cblev65252 on Oct 28, 2005 04:17 AM ]
posted on October 28, 2005 09:21:24 AM new
The Republican prison is going to be filled up next year.
Delay, Cheney, Rove, Libby, Noe, Ryan can all be cellmates and talk about the glory days.
Perhaps they should start asking Martha for advice on how to make the best of prison life.
Absolute faith has been shown, consistently, to breed intolerance. And intolerance, history teaches us, again and again, begets violence.
---------------------------------- The duty of a patriot in this time and place is to ask questions, to demand answers, to understand where our nation is headed and why. If the answers you get do not suit you, or if they frighten you, or if they anger you, it is your duty as a patriot to dissent. Freedom does not begin with blind acceptance and with a flag. Freedom begins when you say 'No.'
posted on October 28, 2005 10:24:33 AM new
Yup, the Repugs have the power to get away with all kinds of criminal activity and their loyal followers will be so happy that they do.
No morals evident with the neocons.
posted on October 28, 2005 10:26:10 AM new
But BUT Clinton did this and Clinton did that and it's all Clinton's fault and and he had SEX! and, and, but , but,
