Coin dealer contributions went to Schwarzenegger

[OzarkDem]

Ohio's Coingate scandal spreads. Ahnuld got $10 grand of Ohio taxpayer's money and he's not giving it back.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/06/03/state/n185729D83.DTL

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger won't return $10,000 in contributions he received from a coin dealer at the center of an Ohio investment scandal, a spokesman said Friday.


Coin dealer Thomas Noe gave the money last year to a Schwarzenegger fund that supports the Republican governor's legislative priorities, such as limiting state borrowing to balance the budget.


Ohio's Inspector General is investigating Noe's investment of $50 million in state money in rare coins, while federal authorities are investigating whether Noe bypassed election laws in donations to Bush.


Noe's attorney said May 26 that $10 million to $12 million is missing from the fund, which was given to Noe by the state's Bureau of Worker's Compensation to raise money for the bureau by investing in rare coins.

:popcorn:

[alittlelark]

1. I detest our Gropernator....

How many coins does it take to buy him off?

[AlCzervik]

6. I was at the capitol and have you seen what that rancid fucker has done to

our State Museum? It's a fucking shrine to him and the Shrivers. I was so pissed and i talked to the guide and said "there have been many complaints"

[jayctravis]

12. Does it contain the big red ink faucet he had built...

or a pothole mockup?

[ronnykmarshall]

49. No kiddin?

There was of course the new California quarter that comes in case with a big ass picture of Arnie and the Stick too.

Interesting to hear that people are complaining about this crap.

[AlCzervik]

51. yes, the quarter- a mint one is in a little cardboard sleeve

thing and when you open it up and has a picutre of him and his wife-bleh! There are Quotes by Sgt. Shriver painted on the walls as well.

[warrior1]

50. Hey

I went there Friday on a break and was making the same damn comments. It's a crime what he's doing, but I did see that someone has been vandalizing there pictures that isn't cover with glass.

heehee

[ronnykmarshall]

52. This shit needs to come out in 06.

I don't recall ANY gov even Ronnie Reagan that felt he was more important that the history of our state.

Arnie and Maria (who are NOT native Californians) think that they are some type of fucking royalty.

Arnie is simply on a fucking ego trip and Maria thinks she's her aunt Jackie. Both are full of shit.

[ronnykmarshall]

53. Please post pictures of this crap.

I want this shit to become an issue.

I KNEW when this pompus asshole got in office he'd act like he's some kind of fucking god.

Good god. Of all the good things that Maria's parents have done, they've let themselves become a joke for that fool son in law.

JFK is spinning in his grave.

[Carla in Ca]

29. Well, when he comes to my

neck of the woods campaigning, now I know what to have on my protest signs...Thanks!

[Iowa]

30. And what the hell...

is the state doing investing millions of $ in rare coins in the first place?! Coins really aren't legitimate investments. They are purely speculative, and an inappropriate place for public funds, IMO.

[mod mom]

43. but Noe got Diebold into a big dem county, (only 2 of 88 had Diebold) so

he deserves the 50 million investment. Sarcasm! I'm telling you folks, this was a big time payoff for votes! Lucas County OH was a cesspool of election fraud and NOES are in the center of it.

[sickinohio]

48. Election fraud in Lucas County for sure and

also, remember that a few weeks before the election the Dem headquarters in downtown Toledo was broken into with the theft of computers, etc. I STILL say those CROOKED rePukes had something to do with that. FRAUD FRAUD FRAUD - the whole rePuke party here in Ohio are a bunch of crooks. I say the authorities should be taking a look into the break-in again. Betcha it will lead right back to Noe and his crooks in Lucas County!!
:think:

[Cha]

Good...don't give it back,

arnie..just more proof how tainted you are.

Check out that Enron movie.."The Smartest Guys in the Room"

http://www.google.com/reviews?cid=b1a2dc4d116cf3c1&oi=showtimes&fq=the+smartest+guys+in+the+room

[alittlelark]

35. My B-in-Law just recommended that movie 2 hours ago.

I had never heard of it. I'll see it w/in the week.

[K8-EEE]

37. It's A MUST-SEE!!

Anybody who vote for Gropinator (not ME!) should see it FOR SURE...SUCKERS...

[Johnywolf]

2. lol

C'mon! Arnold is stinking rich. 10,000 bucks for him is like 10 dollars for middle class. I doubt that he would keep it.

[Cha]

4. Don't "doubt it".

arnie is a greedy huckster.

[alittlelark]

34. It's legal $$$$$$$ for his next run....He's too cheap

to go 'out of pocket'. He is sooo over out here. His decimation of educational$$$ has branded him as a pariah. Oh, yeah, and what's happening w/ all the Enron $$$ LOOTED from us? I dunno, ask The Gropenator.

[K8-EEE]

36. EVERY CALIFORNIAN MUST SEE "SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM"

Then the Californian must go home and spend a sleepless night feeling like they want to put their fist through a wall.

That's what this Californian did last night. The movie is great but painful to see -- God we were SO screwed.

[goodboy]

3. Oh sweet! Taft's going down, Blackwell's going down, and Nazinator

is going DOWN!

[barbaraann]

5. I hear a giant unraveling sound.

:o

[JacobPike]

7. What a surprise!

If there's an illegal contribution, you can bet it's in die Gropenfuhrer's pocket. What did my state do to deserve this?

[faithnotgreed]

28. hi jacobpike! welcome to du

[donsu]

42. your state snoozed and used rigged voting

nt

[dandrhesse]

8. I love that smiley! I hadn't seen it before. I have a feeling the show has

only just begun!

[dweller]

9. where's the link to Oilslick Dick?

tie him in it, find the tax evasion, and spiro his ass, and the ball gets rolling.

dp

[leesa]

41. It's in his energy papers that Scalia has denied the public in exchange

for the head supreme job.

[CountAllVotes]

10. give it back BOOBENGRABBER!!!

Thief!



:kick:

[Robbien]

11. Also in this story Noe reimbursed people for their contributions to Bush

Meanwhile, H. Douglas Talbott, a former governor's aide has told federal authorities that he gave $2,000 to Bush's re-election campaign at the urging of Noe and was later reimbursed by the coin dealer, The Plain Dealer reported Friday. A message was left seeking comment Friday.

Talbott appeared this week before a federal grand jury in Toledo that is looking into whether Noe, who headed the Bush-Cheney campaign in northwest Ohio, skirted campaign finance laws by giving others money to donate.

The grand jury is examining whether Noe illegally reimbursed up to two dozen contributors to a Bush fund-raiser in October 2003. Campaign finance laws limit how much an individual can donate.

The Plain Dealer also reported that Doug Moorman, another former Taft assistant, accepted a $5,000 loan from Noe last year, about 13 months after he left state government to join the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. Moorman told the newspaper he plans to repay the loan when he sells his home in Columbus.

"We continued to have two house payments, and Tom had offered to me that if things got tight, he'd help out if he could," Moorman said. A message was left seeking comment.

[BigBearJohn]

13. On YAHOO! News: GOP in hot water over lost coins in Ohio

Money has always been the coin of the political realm, but the unfolding scandal over lost coins in Ohio--old nickels, dimes and gold pieces coveted by collectors and valued into the millions of dollars--is shaking the Republican Party to its grand old roots.

In what is all-too-predictably being labeled "Coingate," state and federal authorities have sicced their investigative dogs on the activities of Thomas Noe, a Toledo coin collector who was chairman of President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign in northwest Ohio and who, over the years, has been a lawn sprinkler of campaign cash to major Republican candidates in the state.

The perception of money for injured workers going to support politicians is potentially explosive for Ohio Republicans, who control nearly all major statewide offices and who cleared the way for an unusual $55 million state investment in Noe's rare coin venture, starting in 1998.

Rademacher and other political analysts say it would be premature to forecast the fallout from the scandal. But they note that in the wake of a statewide loan scandal in 1970, when Republicans were in control, Democrats won the governor's office.


SOURCE: http://news.yahoo.com/s/chitribts/20050603/ts_chicagotrib/lostcoinsareahotpotatoforgop&printer=1

[Triana]

14. Karma...? (n/t)

[HarrietBrown]

15. Well, this should make Sam Seder happy! I love to hear him talk about this

on Air America!

[Bob3]

16. $55 Million in Coins?

Jesus - I don't know it was that much - that's bloody insane. Even if the guy was legit.

[MissWaverly]

19. I agree with you

when my mother was alive, she had to have her Hummel figurines, the larger ones were like $89.00 each at that time, I have seen them at auctions sell for $15.00 to $20.00 a piece. Collectibles are just
unpredictable.

[Robbien]

23. Since $10-12 million is missing its hard to believe anything here is legit

The coin dealer was giving out loans right and left without requiring anyone to pay it back. He held a fund raiser for Bush which brought in over a million dollars. Wonder where he got the cash to hold that fundraiser. Five of the seven judges reviewing this case had to step down because they received money from this guy.

Right before this story broke they were on the verge of giving this guy another $25 million!

[OzarkDem]

47. Its probably more

and I suspect they knew it wouldn't be invested in coins, either. GOP control of state government for several years has resulted in a lot of hubris and abuse of power. This scandal could take down all their top elected officials in the state - including their stacked Supreme Court.

Ohioans have been stupid to let them control things for so long.

[vickie]

17. I was just about to post this, but you beat me to the punch!

[Robbien]

18. Other than that one article in the WaPo, all news sites have avoided

this story. The case is fascinating and it is nice to see the Blade stand up to all the political attacks to pursue the story. After watching the Blade be heavily attacked I can understand why newspapers do not do investigative reporting.

[OzarkDem]

21. Blade is doing a great job

They have a good compendium of the Coingate stories to date.

http://tinyurl.com/7aek5

[Zorra]

20. The GOP is so profoundly corrupt they are the envy of the Mafia.

And Americans just don't get it.

Go figure.

[benburch]

22. Give this one a 5 star recommendation on yahoo!

Make sure it is at the top of what people see!!!!

[BigBearJohn]

26. GREAT IDEA

[tmooses]

24. Somehow I bet Blackwell is involved.

n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

25. You know he WANTED campaign money and plans to run for Gov -

question is, did he get it yet? Ooooh, I hope he did and it is traceable. He is pure scum. But he should also be prosecuted for corrupting the presidential election.

[Elidor]

31. "premature to forecast the fallout from the scandal?" HA!

Heads will roll for this. Some of them elected ones.

[proud patriot]

27. Goody Goody more ammo to defeat the terminator with

:rofl: Hasta La Vista Ahhhhhnold

[henslee]

32. he is history.... unless he starts wearing a sombrero regularly.

[Chicago Democrat]

33. First it was "200 coins worth 500K missing" now become "10-12 million"

Oh boy!



Goodie gumdrops!

[nadinbrzezinski]

38. ok, ok how many folks truly know of this

like the memo... the MSM is just starting to report on this


oh yes the sound of heads exploding....

[NuttyFluffers]

39. and why am i not surprised? impeach this bastard now...

dammit! why couldn't gallagher have been governor instead!?

[rucky]

40. "Thou Shalt Not Steal" - isn't that a 10 Commandment?

more douchebaggery from the right.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

44. Wow! So that makes TWO workers' compensation programs that

Arnold looted...California's and Ohio's

[mod mom]

45. Mrs Noe's (Chair of Lucas Cty BOE) law firm lobbied for debt-collection

Mrs. Noe's law firm had deal with state
Coin dealer's wife may have lobbied to get debt-collection contracts, Petro says
Noe
Zoom
By STEVE EDER
BLADE STAFF WRITER
COLUMBUS - Attorney General Jim Petro acknowledged yesterday that Bernadette Noe, a lawyer and wife of embattled coin dealer Tom Noe, "may have" successfully lobbied his office to direct thousands of dollars in contracts to her law firm to collect debt on behalf of the state.
"Tom never brought it up. I don't doubt that Bernadette may have," Mr. Petro said.
Democrats have charged that Republican officials whose campaigns Mr. Noe has financially supported have done favors for the Toledo-area coin dealer in exchange.
The Noes have given more than $200,000 in contributions to politicians, political parties, and political action committees over the past 15 years - including $6,000 to Mr. Petro's campaigns returned this week amid the growing scandal.
www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050604...

[BR_Parkway]

46. And from the Lucas County BOE investigation, Noe resigned

let's not forget that Watergate started with a bungled burglary. How far does this scandal go?

Lucas County Investigation Report - Kenneth J Blackwell

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/elections/lucas/LucasCountyInvestigationReport.pdf

Additionally, Board chairperson Bernadette Restivo-Noe, in a letter addressed to the Ohio Secretary of State, dated December 22, 2004, announced her intent to resign as both chairperson of the Lucas County Republican Party and as chairperson of the Lucas
County Board of Elections. (Exhibit D)

<snip>

Soon, two groups of partisan volunteers totaling approximately twelve people arrived at the warehouse. Since their purpose for being there was not immediately known, nor requested, they were asked to leave the premises. Their refusal to leave prompted Mr. Weghorst to place a telephone call for emergency assistance. Upon arrival of the authorities, the police escorted the partisan volunteers away from the building where the ballot materials were maintained. Later, it was learned that these volunteers had been instructed to go to the warehouse at the request of two Board members, Ms. Ross and Ms. Noe.

<snip>

Not long after providing the requested random sample to the Board members, Ms. Ross asked that the breakdown of precincts for the 3% recount be amended to make it more representational of the “central city.” Once a new sample was prepared based upon Ms. Ross’ specifications, that sample was sent to the Board members for comment. Upon reviewing Ms. Ross’ sample, Ms. Noe responded that she was upset that one Board member was trying to control the process and that no major suburban areas, such as Maumee and Monclova Township, were represented.

<snip>

Sometime in late September or early October, an employee of the Ohio
Republican Party contacted Mr. Thurber in regard to a public records request. The person wanted to inspect and have copies made of all recently returned voter confirmation postcards. Two or three days after contacting Mr. Thurber, representatives of the Ohio Republican Party arrived in Toledo. The facts are somewhat muddied as to exactly when they first appeared at the Board of Elections and with whom they talked in regard to making arrangements for the requested inspection. However, it seems as though Ms. Noe, Mr. Thurber, Ms. Hicks-Hudson and Ms. Kelly were aware of the request and were all somehow involved in negotiations concerning how best to accommodate it. At some point, as arrangements were being made, a representative from the Ohio Republican Party offered to furnish volunteers to assist with the copying of the postcards. The offer was accepted. Apparently, it was collectively decided by Ms. Noe, Ms. Hicks-Hudson and Ms. Kelly that the Ohio Republican Party volunteers would be allowed behind the counter at the Board office and that they would be stationed at a copier for whatever period of time necessary to make the desired copies.