Posted on 11/26/2005 10:26:00 PM PST by SmithL
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The scandal began as a curiosity. Tom Noe, a gregarious businessman and Republican Party leader in northwest Ohio, had been entrusted with $50 million in state money to invest in rare coins, with the idea of winning fat returns for the workers' compensation fund.
It seemed an oddity at most, but like a loose thread on a jacket, the more investigators pulled, the more the garment unraveled, revealing members of Ohio's Republican establishment who had been wined, dined and enriched by Noe.
Gov. Bob Taft (R), heir to the state's most famous political name, pleaded no contest in August to accepting secret freebies from Noe and others and was fined $4,000. Members of his staff admitted borrowing money from Noe or using his Florida Keys vacation home. Millions in state funds proved to be missing from Noe's accounts.
As Republicans raced to distance themselves from Noe, a federal grand jury in Toledo indicted him last month on charges that he illegally funneled $45,400 in campaign contributions to President Bush's reelection campaign. Prosecutors said he circumvented the $2,000 limit on individual contributions by getting 24 friends and associates to make the contributions, and reimbursing them.
Although Noe protests he is innocent, investigators are asking how far the growing scandal will go, and political consultants are measuring the potential fallout in a crucial Midwestern state controlled by the GOP. Historically, power has been split between the major parties in Ohio, but Republicans have won the past two presidential elections, and taken hold of both U.S. Senate seats and the state legislature in recent years. Republicans have occupied the governor's office since 1990.
The Republican brand in Ohio last week picked up another dent when six-term Rep. Robert W. Ney was identified as the recipient of favors
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
So, what will they do about it?
Typical WashPost. All Republicans are evil just because of a few bad apples. Democrats are pure as the driven snow.
The party faithful(scum sucking dogs) will accuse anyone daring to question them of being "harmful to the cause", "disloyal", etc. I know from experience...
Taft needs to go. If the Ohio GOP doesn't have the guts to force him out, maybe they don't deserve to be in power. Maybe some "time in the wilderness" will chastize them and force them to shape up before they wreck things even worse.
"Prosecutors said he circumvented the $2,000 limit on individual contributions by getting 24 friends and associates to make the contributions, and reimbursing them."
Didn't the Clinton's do this? Not saying that it's right but they perfected the technique.
Sounds like some of the republican politicians are of the same ilk as the Louisiana ones, and need to be routed for the good of all.
Crooked is crooked. Dem or Repub is just like a costume on halloween.
Ohio is the perfect example of what will happen when RINO's are the majority.
Blackwell has a hell of a task beforehand to clean this state up before '08.
Noe donated to some PACs. And some of those PACs donated to Dems...
Like Hillary Clinton and John Conyers.
"Ohio Scandals May Give Democrats a Lift"
True but not likely. People in Ohio are smart enough not to vote rat because of Taft. Ken Blackwell will surge to victory and things will be back to normal. Ohio is NOT a rat state.
Is it just me, or does it always seem that the battleground states in recent Democrat-lost elections always suffers from some scandal afterwards?
-PJ
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