Posted on 08/17/2005 12:10:25 PM PDT by dogbyte12
Gov. Bob Taft is expected to be charged this afternoon in Franklin County Municipal Court with four criminal misdemeanors for failing to disclose golf outings and possibly other favors. The charges are to be outlined at a press conference this afternoon with Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien and Columbus City Attorney Richard C. Pfeiffer Jr.
If convicted on the first-degree misdemeanor charges, Taft faces a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to six months in jail on each count.
Taft, 63, the great-grandson of William Howard Taft, the only American to serve as president and chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, made history on his own: He is the first Ohio governor to face criminal charges while in office.
The charges were the outgrowth of a two-month investigation by a task force consisting of the Inspector General Thomas P. Charles, the Ohio Ethics Commission and the State Highway Patrol.
The commission last week referred the matter to prosecutors who discussed it this morning.
Taft and Meeks have said the errors and omissions were inadvertent.
While it is not expected, the criminal charges could lead to Taft's impeachment under the Ohio Constitution.
The Constitution says that the governor, judges and any state officer can be impeached if they are charged with a misdemeanor, even if they are not convicted.
The Ohio House of Representatives has the sole power to initiate impeachment proceedings. A simple majority -- or 50 of 99 members -- would have to vote for impeachment.
The Ohio Senate would conduct the impeachment trial, with a two-thirds majority vote -- 22 of 33 members -- required for a conviction.
Taft's problems surfaced in connection with Thomas W. Noe, a prominent Republican campaign contributor who managed failed rare-coin investments for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. Taft appointed Noe to the Ohio Board of Regents and Ohio Turnpike Commission. Noe resigned from both jobs in the wake of the coin scandal.
Noe, a Maumee coin dealer, has been accused of stealing nearly $4 million from the $50 million investment for personal use, and his lawyers have acknowledged a shortfall of up to $13 million.
Multiple state and federal agencies are investigating, and three special grand juries have been seated. Noe, who denies any wrongdoing, has not been charged.
Things really began unraveling on May 23 when Charles contacted the governor's office seeking records. He had found allegations, during the course of his investigation, that members of the governor's staff received lodging, accommodations and other items from Noe.
Taft subsequently sent a letter to the Ethics Commission on June 14, acknowledging that he failed to list multiple list golf outings and other events on his financial disclosure forms over several years.
From the start, Taft has stressed that he initiated the investigation by voluntarily reporting the errors and omissions. He has cooperated fully, officials said, a contrast with Brian K. Hicks, Taft's former chief of staff, who did not cooperate with the ethics investigation against him.
"I'm fully responsible for this," Taft told reporters this week. "This is my report. I signed it."
Hicks was found guilty of a misdemeanor for accepting lodging at Noe's Florida homes in 2002 and 2003 without paying fair market value. His former executive assistant, Cherie Carroll, was found guilty on the same charge for accepting free meals as part of what's been dubbed the "Noe supper club."
Taft has reported at least one golf outing involving Noe at Inverness Club in Toledo in 2001, and it was after authorities began investigating Noe in April and May that Taft announced the "errors and omissions" in June.
Besides Taft and Hicks, the investigations also has led to charges so far against Cherie N. Carroll, Hicks' former executive secretary.
Hicks was found guilty of a misdemeanor for accepting lodging at Noe's Florida homes in 2002 and 2003 without paying fair market value, while Carroll accepted free meals as part of what's been dubbed the "Noe supper club."
May I be the first to say "good riddance". Hopefully he'll resign or be impeached and the Ohio GOP will be better without this albatross around its neck.
He's screwed. There's nothing like a political witch hunt. Fortunately (for him) execution ain't a possibility.
I know I don't like him. He's been a horrible governor.
From what I gather, conservatives in Ohio hate Taft. I don't follow Ohio politics (well at all). I am just curious as to how this plays out.
Don't blame me, I never voted for him.......
Thoughts:
1) It s*cks not being Clinton when this happens.
2) Is he going to resign? Media mentions impeachment...
don't let that happen to you Gov Taft.
3) It sounds a bit small-potatoes actually for a 'criminal charge' ie failing to report golf outings.
4) I've heard enough bad about him that as Republicans, we might prefer him long gone by 2006 than stinkin' up the joint for Republicans in 2006. GOP voters are less forgiving than the Democrats.
I only voted for him once, back in 1998. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
me neither, couse i've only be registered to vote in California and Maine. So kinda hard to cast a vote for him ;)
"Noe, a Maumee coin dealer,"
My brother lives in Maumee. Says Noe is a real sleezebag.
Second, the guy has no leadership, no legacy (except maybe this). He didn't restore something like fiscal sanity like Voinovich did. He didn't spend massively on public works like Rhodes did (airport in every county and four-year college in every county that had 100,000 folks at that time). Heck, Celese, the last Dem, even modernized the highway rest areas. That's a bigger legacy than Taft has.
I argued that Taft was worse the his democrat opponent in the last election. Party faithful(read as "scum, sucking dogs") accused me of being "bad for the party and good riddance" No matter what the outcome,this will give democrats ten years worth of ammo.All I can say is...Nyahh nyahh nyahh(In my most childish voice)...
Criminal charges for failing to report golf outings? Overkill.
I hope the GOP voters in Ohio have enough sense to vote Blackwell in the primaries and he will heal all wounds.
Neither did I...but then again I moved out of Ohio just before turning 18, so I never voted there.
Time to resign.
I didn't see the word "Republican" til half way down the story. I thought for sure the guy was going to be a D the way they had it buried.
What is the order of succession in Ohio? I only support a resignation if the Sec. of State became Governor. If it's the Lt. Gov NO FREAKIN WAY because it would give her an incumbency advantage come 2006.
Add to all this a DWI Supreme Court Justice and another one hauling a carload of cash, Ohio is starting to sound like a third world country.
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