Posted on 08/18/2005 6:26:54 AM PDT by SoFloFreeper
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Charged with ethics violations, Gov. Bob Taft was expected to enter a plea Thursday and apologize, wrapping up the case less than 24 hours after it was filed, two top state leaders said. Senate President Bill Harris and House Speaker Jon Husted, fellow Republicans, wouldn't be specific Thursday about whether Taft would plead guilty or no contest. But Husted said the plea would resolve the case, which would rule out a plea of innocent. Taft plans to apologize to Ohioans for his ethical lapse that led to him being the first Ohio governor charged with a crime, the lawmakers said after talking to Taft on Wednesday. "He specifically said that he would apologize to the citizens of Ohio when he appeared in court," Harris said. A message was left with Taft's office seeking comment.
Why won't this clown just resign and spare hinmself, and the Ohio GOP, further embarrassment?
What did he do?
Took golf outings and didn't declare them as gifts, I think.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Governor Bob Taft was charged with four ethics violations yesterday, accused of failing to report dozens of gifts that included dinners, golf games, and professional hockey tickets, in a deepening scandal that has rocked Ohio's Republican Party.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/08/18/ohio_governor_charged_in_ethics_probe/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+National+News
He was charged yesterday with four ethics violations for failing to report dozens of gifts that included dinners, golf games, and hockey tickets. His statewide approval rating is below 20% due to this and an ongoing $$$ scandal involving a GOP fundraiser, Tom Noe.
How exactly is this guy a RINO?
...Just need ammunition when my lib friend sparks a debate.
The whole affair reinforces the idea that he is stupid, not that he is a crook or corrupt.
He likes to raise taxes, not a pro-growth agenda..2 terms & Ohio is still languishing economy -wise....with a legislature that is largely RINO also.
Senate President Bill Harris and House Speaker Jon Husted, fellow Republicans, wouldn't be specific Thursday about whether Taft would plead guilty or no contest. But Husted said the plea would resolve the case, which would rule out a plea of innocent.
Taft plans to apologize to Ohioans for his ethical lapse that led to him being the first Ohio governor charged with a crime, the lawmakers said after talking to Taft on Wednesday.
"He specifically said that he would apologize to the citizens of Ohio when he appeared in court," Harris said. A message was left with Taft's office seeking comment. City Prosecutor Stephen McIntosh told The (Toledo) Blade earlier that Taft was expected to reach a plea agreement. Taft was charged Wednesday with four misdemeanor ethics violations. He is accused of failing to report 52 gifts, including dinners, golf games and professional hockey tickets.
If convicted, Taft could be fined $1,000 and sentenced to six months in jail on each count, though time behind bars was considered unlikely.
The governor, whose great-grandfather was President William Howard Taft, is not planning to resign, spokesman Mark Rickel said.
The gifts were worth about $5,800 and given over four years, prosecutors said. Taft earlier had revealed that he failed to report some outings but said the omissions were accidental.
Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said the gifts included two golf outings worth $100 each paid for by embattled coin dealer Tom Noe. Noe is a Republican fundraiser whose $50 million investment of state money in rare coins launched the scandal that led to Taft's revelation that he failed to list golf outings on financial disclosure forms.
State law requires officeholders to report all gifts worth more than $75 if the donor wasn't reimbursed. O'Brien said the gifts also included meals and tickets for a Columbus Blue Jackets hockey game.
The Ohio Ethics Commission last week concluded its investigation into Taft's golf outings and forwarded the results to prosecutors. A state task force and the commission are investigating public employees for similar offenses and O'Brien said he expected more serious felony charges to be brought, although not against Taft.
The alleged ethics violations against Taft are another blow to the GOP in the Republican-controlled state that won President Bush re-election. Democrats have found hope for the 2006 midterm elections in the investment scandal and a surprisingly close congressional race this month for an open seat in a GOP stronghold.
Taft released records Aug. 5 showing he accepted invitations to 21 golf outings since 1999, including one in 2001 with Noe. The coin dealer has contributed $22,190 to Taft's political campaigns, state records show.
Taft's golf partners included John Snow, then the head of transportation company CSX Corp. and now the U.S. Treasury secretary; and Tony Alexander, president and chief executive of Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp.
Some partners have said Taft paid for the golf; others have said they picked up the tab. Taft's former chief of staff Brian Hicks pleaded no contest last month to failing to report stays at Noe's million-dollar Florida home. He was fined $1,000.
Noe has acknowledged that up to $13 million is missing from the rare coins fund, and Attorney General Jim Petro has accused him of stealing as much as $4 million.
Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2006, said the charges are part of a "culture of corruption" in Ohio. Some residents also are fed up with the corruption. "It's a sad state of affairs," said Bruce Lively, a Maumee resident who said he had backed Taft in the past but now thinks he should step down.
Taft was elected governor in 1998, following the most expensive campaign in state history. He also had been secretary of state, a state representative and a county commissioner in his hometown of Cincinnati. His distinguished political family also includes his father and grandfather, who were both U.S. senators from Ohio. ------
BIG TIME TAX RAISER.
Thanks, I get the picture now.
Because he did something bad...before that, he was a real republican.
Wrong. He made his RINOness clear to all right after he was elected. Jacked up the sales tax by one percent (temporary, for a few years only), didn't cut spending, fought tooth and nail against concealed carry, and when it came time for the "temporary" sale tax to lapse, he only let 1/2% lapse and made the other 1/2 permanent.
The sooner Taxt is gone, the better.
the joke is that he got 52 gifts worth less than $6,000. Did he sell out for $120 to 52 people? Some guy who gave moeny to Klinton said, "I would have given more for the access, but nobody asked." Over in the Federal court you have Abramhof (sp) taking millions from the native casino operators. Both folks have their lives ruined, one for 100 million one for 120.00.
Right, until he did something that people didn't like, he was a regular republican.
Taft might be a "regular" Ohio republican, but he has never been a conservative republican. Taft was in the Peace Corps for criminy sakes!!! The only qualification Taft had to be governor was "My name is Taft"...
Taft fought concealed carry legislation, after promising during his 1998 campaign that he'd sign it.
Taft signed legislation raising our Sales Tax 20%
Taft signed legislation raising our Gas Tax by 6 cents/gallon.
Taft signed legislation containing huge spending increases.
Taft vetoed legislation that would have prohibited state funds from being used for stem cell research.
Taft is not a conservative, honest, or ethical man. Him, and those like him, need to go.
Nicely summed up, thanks.
Bob Taft should resign. He's a failed governor and his unpopularity is toxic to all Republicans in Ohio. Furthermore, even if he broke no laws, he's guilty of using his office for personal gain.
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