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BREAKING NEWSProsecutor Says Taft Will Be Charged with Four Misdemeanors
WTOL ^ | August 18, 2005 | AP

Posted on 08/17/2005 1:07:05 PM PDT by wildwood

COLUMBUS (AP) -- Gov. Bob Taft, under investigation for not reporting numerous golf outings as required by law, will be charged with four criminal misdemeanors, a prosecutor said Wednesday. Taft, a Republican and member of a distinguished U.S. political family, would be the first Ohio governor to be charged with a crime.

If convicted, he could be fined $1,000 and sentenced to six months in jail on each count, though time behind bars was considered unlikely. Taft will be charged later Wednesday, said City Prosecutor Stephen McIntosh, who declined further comment pending an afternoon news conference.

Investigators have looked for weeks at Taft's alleged violation of a law requiring officeholders to report all gifts worth more than $75. Though long anticipated, news of the charges were still a stunning conclusion to a process Taft began in June when he announced the lapse.

The charges would come three months after Taft stressed at an ethics conference the importance of ethical behavior for public employees. "Public employees can enjoy entertainment, such as golf or dining out, with persons working for a regulated company, or one doing business with the state, ONLY if they fully pay their own way," he said in the May 11 speech at Xavier University.

Taft, 63 and nearing the end of his second term, would be the highest-ranking official to be charged in a ballooning state investment scandal. His former chief of staff was convicted of an ethics violation in July.

Other Ohio governors have come under investigation, including Republican George Voinovich, investigated for unproven allegations he laundered campaign money, and Democrat Richard Celeste, whose connections to a contributor who owned the failed Home State Savings Bank were examined.....

(Excerpt) Read more at wtol.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: bobtaft
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To: Soul Seeker

oh, i know. i can only hold my head and groan in agreement. i totally agree with you on all this. the GOOD news is if, prosecuted by other repubs, taft would RESIGN. acting as if being charged with 4 misdemeanors (2 years in jail, thousands in fines) should not affect his term is an embarrassment.


21 posted on 08/17/2005 2:31:01 PM PDT by wildwood
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To: conspiratoristo; Pontiac; boxerblues; dubyaismypresident; GOP_Lady; DollyCali; Commiewatcher; ...

N.E. Ohio pings....


22 posted on 08/17/2005 2:32:32 PM PDT by Las Vegas Dave ("Liberals out of power are comical-Liberals in power are dangerous!" - Rush quote.)
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To: ZOOKER

If a gift is not reported as required by law, does it not then become a bribe? He's just another posterior orifice.


23 posted on 08/17/2005 2:32:33 PM PDT by Slack
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To: Eagles Talon IV

i dunno...i dunno....dems have been salivating for months over this and noe...i'm not so optimistic. taft can't run again anyway.


24 posted on 08/17/2005 2:32:54 PM PDT by wildwood
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To: Eagles Talon IV

Taft is term limited out, but the dems are paving the way for a "D" in office, should be interesting!


25 posted on 08/17/2005 2:34:28 PM PDT by Las Vegas Dave ("Liberals out of power are comical-Liberals in power are dangerous!" - Rush quote.)
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To: Las Vegas Dave

BFD! Term limits followed by hanging is the only way.


26 posted on 08/17/2005 3:06:45 PM PDT by samadams2000 (Pitchforks and Lanterns..with a smiley face!)
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To: samadams2000; conspiratoristo; Pontiac; boxerblues; dubyaismypresident; GOP_Lady; DollyCali; ...
Taft is going to court Thursday, guess some sort of plea bargain in the works, expected LARGE fine, no jail.

They got Taft on accepting over $6000 of free GOLF, and not reporting it! 6 o'clock news reported that they expect more indictments higher up than Taft.

(An FYI: Last year when GWB visited Ohio, Taft WAS NOT invited to any of the appearances, GWB didn't want an albatross hanging around!)
27 posted on 08/17/2005 3:20:35 PM PDT by Las Vegas Dave ("Liberals out of power are comical-Liberals in power are dangerous!" - Rush quote.)
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To: Eagles Talon IV

Maybe hardcore Reps will not vote for a Dem, but many Independents and moderate Reps will certainly be more inclined to vote for a Dem because fo Taft.

And why is Taft a RINO, as some people here claim?


28 posted on 08/17/2005 3:21:15 PM PDT by DoraC (Islam is no peaceful religion.)
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To: DoraC
And why is Taft a RINO, as some people here claim?

Over the last six years what state has increased spending the most (72%) and increased taxes atleast 3 times. You guessed it Bob Shaft's Ohio. Add to it his duplicity in stalling concealed carry and his picking (a now replaced) social liberal Lt. Governor.

I didn't vote for him last time (of course there was no chance of the Dem winning - if there was I'm not sure what I would have done.)

29 posted on 08/17/2005 3:39:19 PM PDT by NeoCaveman (The constitution is not in exile, it's in a nice safe deposit box in the Cayman Islands - Lileks)
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To: Las Vegas Dave; All
I heard that Taft will plead guilty tomorrow. No jail time and no resignation.

Maybe we should call for his impeachment.

30 posted on 08/17/2005 3:42:18 PM PDT by NeoCaveman (The constitution is not in exile, it's in a nice safe deposit box in the Cayman Islands - Lileks)
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To: DoraC
And why is Taft a RINO, as some people here claim?

He is a big spending politician who fought Ohioans on 2nd amendment issues until political reality forced him to sign a CCW bill. A bill intowhich he dropped as many poison pills as possible at the bidding of the Ohio State Patrol (who are known to shoot each other in circular positioning in gunfights) and other corrupt police administrators.

Go Blackwell!!

31 posted on 08/17/2005 3:44:34 PM PDT by Ghengis (Alexander was a wuss!)
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To: dubyaismypresident
Wonder who the bigger fish are? Possibly DummocRATs?
32 posted on 08/17/2005 3:45:27 PM PDT by Las Vegas Dave ("Liberals out of power are comical-Liberals in power are dangerous!" - Rush quote.)
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Comment #33 Removed by Moderator

To: wildwood
Investigators have looked for weeks at Taft's alleged violation of a law requiring officeholders to report all gifts worth more than $75.

If greens fees are more than $75 in that part of the country, I'd be surprised.

34 posted on 08/17/2005 10:54:08 PM PDT by demsux
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To: TonyRo76
that front page link was free yesterday...i suppose it has gone to archive already. i know at THE BLADE (barf barf) the whole thing on noe, the coins and taft will be FREE, however, since THE BLADE's goal includes trashing everyone, particularly repubs.

that was a pretty eye opening article and i think someone else posted it earlier last night..

.the columbus dispatch=rino

taft=rino

35 posted on 08/18/2005 4:41:29 AM PDT by wildwood
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Comment #36 Removed by Moderator


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