Rep Conyers - Coingate: Special Counsel Request

[paineinthearse]

Cross-posted to the OHIO forum at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=172&topic_id=7537&mesg_id=7537

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1973328&mesg_id=1973328 for prior COINGATE post.

Coingate: Special Counsel Request

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur and I requested a special prosecutor in the Thomas Noe/Bush-Cheney campaign finance abuses investigation. This scandal unfolding in Ohio is absolutely remarkable in its breadth and audacity. In case you have not been following closely, Thomas Noe, a top Ohio Republican fundraiser, was found to have misappropriated as much as $13 million in funds from the Bureau of Workmen’s Compensation Fund. A Lucas County Grand Jury uncovered federal campaign finance abuses in September of last year. Just last week, a federal grand jury has successfully prosecuted two former officials from Governor Taft’s administration with more indictments expected.

This scandal is one of the worst ever in Ohio history and reflects pervasive corruption in the Republican party that reaches all the way to the White House. These missing funds represent the income protection for those injured on the job. I imagine most people recovering from serious workplace injury are less than amused to learn that Ohio Republicans viewed their workers’ compensation fund as monopoly money to play with. I’m certain that most are astounded to learn that this missing money may have been laundered into political campaigns of Ohio Republicans and the Bush-Cheney campaign.

Unfortunately, no federal investigation of these violations began until well after the 2004 election. This is particularly worrisome if the delay was undertaken to avoid the impact this case could have had on the presidential election. The U.S. Attorney in the case, Gregory White, is a Bush Appointee. White sought support for his current appointment from Governor Taft. Governor Taft has been found to have violated ethics rules by not reporting gifts from Noe, while the Bush-Cheney campaign received over $100,000 in donations from Mr. Noe. Given these circumstances, it is only fitting for a counsel truly independent of these machinations to take over this investigation. For this reason, Marcy Kaptur and I called for the appointment of a special prosecutor in this case. The letter we have drafted may be found here.


Blogged by JC on 08.02.05 @ 03:31 PM ET

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. How can they refuse the request? Any ethical attorney would understa. . .

WHAT AM I SAYING? Of course they will refuse this request.

[FreedomAngel82]

2. I highly believe

that the coin scandal and the 2004 election are connected. The money was given to Tom Noe from George Voinovich when he was governor. Then Noe bought those coins. I've read it's believed that the coins were turned to cash and thus the Bush/Cheney re-election team in Ohio. Now why would they need re-election money since they had the tools to switch the votes?

[MelissaB]

3. How long before all in the US know who Noe and this band of criminals

are and what they did? Can they keep the lid on this?

:kick:

[tsuki]

4. How can we pop the top? Something for the DU activists?

[paineinthearse]

5. The Toledo Blade has been giving this excellent coverage

All other outlets are AWOL or covering runaway brides or the latest diversion-of-the-day.

Suggestion: Incorporate links to the Blades's stories in LTTE. Each time there is a new article, links to prior articles are at the bottom.

[intheflow]

11. I'd love to see the DU activists take a role in

elevating this story to a national level.

[autorank]

6. Marcy Kaptur, D, OH said that Coingate was tied to overall election fraud.

She said this before the DNC report on Ohio, guess Donna Brazile and the in-crowd didn't believe her. Someting will pop and then we'll have a better idea of how 2004 was stolen.

It's about time.

[paineinthearse]

8. Donna Brazile and the in-crowd can kiss my ass

Time for a clean sweep of the DLC rethugs!

[autorank]

14. Now you're talking!

:headbang:

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

9. Raw Story had a feature this morning on Noe's wife...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1976441&mesg_id=1976441

"Tom Noe's wife disrupted ballot count during the 2004 general election"

...so Ohio needs a political biopsy.

Want "a better idea of how 2004 was stolen?" Go to the thread above and then click thru to read the entire story.

:toast:

[paineinthearse]

10. Larisa Alexandrovna

la la raw raw has been working her ass off!

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

13. I see two possibilities here...

...Either these Ohio election fraud people think they did a really, really good job of covering their tracks, or they just didn't care. Maybe since they were propping up Bush they felt invincible. I think they're in for a big surprise.

Whatever the scenario, Raw Story should be in EVERY DUer's bookmarks.



http://www.rawstory.com/

:toast:

[FreedomAngel82]

16. She's great!

I LOVE Raw Story. Them and DU is where I get my news. :)

[FreedomAngel82]

15. Oh yes

I highly highly believe as well. I'm glad this is getting more attention and coverage. It's all connected. Everything these people do is connected just from watching them.

[dalloway]

7. nominated for my here, JC

[Nothing Without Hope]

12. So amazing - it's like Ohio government is a reprise of old New York's

Tammany Hall. Corruption everywhere, the checks and balances destroyed by partisan politics. A microcosm of the national scene played out in this midwestern state, a return to the time of the robber barons.

I hope the rot is exposed for all to see. THIS is what the government under this administration brings about under the banner of patriotism and religion.

Recommended.