Helping out the latecomers
I understand that a few weeks ago, Mr. Marshall asked for a way for people like himself to keep up with the growing Coingate scandal coming out of the Toledo Blade. The Blade has been nice enough to help out.
A new organized section has appeared with a collection of the stories around Mr. Noe and the various mismanaged funds of the Bureau of Workers' Compensation here.
A summary of the highlight stories, for your perusal:
The first article, posted on April 3, is where the Blade discovers the state has invested in rare coins, controlled by a major Republican fund raiser named Tom Noe. A picture provided with the article places him with Governor Taft and RNC chairman Ed Gillespie at a fundraiser in 2004, and notes Mr. Noe's donations to both Governor Taft and his predecessor, now Senator George Voinovich. It also discusses that two coins valued at around $300,000 together, have gone missing, and a loan given to one Mark Chrans to the sum of $250,000, of which $128,583 was still owed.
This article has two charts depicting Tom Noe's various political campaign contributions.
On April 7, The Blade noted a pending ethics decision regarding Mr. Noe's simultaneous positions on the Ohio Board of Regents (the board in charge of the state's higher education) and as an investor of a firm that licenses a patent from the University of Toledo.
The next day, Governor Taft defends the coin fund, a big mistake.
The same day, the Ohio Inspector General begins an investigation.
On April 22, The Blade reveals Mark Chrans' felony record, putting into question why he would be a manager of public funds in the first place, not to mention floated a $250,000 loan.
The next day, the Ohio Ethics Commission hands down its ruling that the holding in the UT patent company while sitting on the Board of Regents is, indeed, an ethics violation.
GOP state senators start asking questions about this point.
The federal probe regarding possible campaign contribution violations comes to light.
The next day, the FBI raids Mr. Noe's condo.
The State starts asking for documents, and the lawyers start showing up and saying "no".
More coins are found missing, likely stolen by a Colorado coin dealer. In related news, drool is now being mopped daily from under the desks of James Drew and Mike WIlkinson.
State inspectors do a spot-check of coins at an office in Monclova township (just outside of Toledo, OH).
Apparently, even with possible coin theft, Mr. Noe didn't notify the authorities.
Mr. Noe leaves the Board of Regents and the Ohio Turnpike Commission, both of which were appointments by Governor Taft. Mr. Taft didn't ask for the resignations, but he had no problem accepting them.
Governor Taft's staff found in Mr. Noe's
Mr. Noe's attorneys try to block the disclosure of records.
The State Auditor decides it might be in her best interest to investigate the fund.
Five of the Ohio Supreme Court's seven judges - count 'em - recuse themselves because they've accepted campaign contributions from Mr. Noe. One, Judith Ann Lanzinger, even had Mr. Noe as her campaign manager last year.
Fund-skimming was going on within the company, to add insult to injury.
More detail on the loans to Mark Chrans.
Governor Taft decides enough is enough. Audible cracking can be heard across the state.
It's not just coins. Water is pooling around some buildings in Columbus.
The dam bursts. Only W. Mark Felt can overshadow the events taking place.
From there, it *does* get wilder, including the recent revelation of another fund dropping $215 million virtuallly overnight, but that should be enough for you to get up to speed on how horrifically bad this is.
Besides, I can link more later if need be, if you can't check it out for yourselves. :-)
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So, if Noe stole taxpayer money from the fund and then made contributions to Republicans (including Bush), are the Republicans guilty of receiving stolen property?
June 13, 2005 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is a smart blog. I mean it. You have so much knowledge about this issue, and so much passion. You also know how to make people rally behind it, obviously from the responses. Youve got a design here thats not too flashy, but makes a statement as big as what youre saying. Great job,children health indeed.
January 13, 2011 10:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
On the latest episode of the Cup O' Joe Radio Show, elections activist Phyllis Huster of Count Paper Ballots talks about her efforts to uncover the connection between Coingate and election fraud in Ohio.
Cup O' Joe - Blog Of The Working Man!
June 13, 2005 5:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know if this will be helpful to you folks in Ohio, but often I find a lot of coins when I look under the sofa cushions. If Noe's is a sofabed there's practically no limit to how many you might find down there. Best of luck!
June 13, 2005 7:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
As a consequence of this story Chystal Gayle is warming up in the wings to warble in 2005:" Don't It Make Your Red Buckeyes Blue."
June 13, 2005 8:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
As a consequence of this story Chystal Gayle is warming up in the wings to warble in 2008:" Don't It Make Your Red Buckeyes Blue."
June 13, 2005 8:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think so. I imagine the "receiving stolen property" charge has a knowledge requirement to it, that is, the officials would have to *know* that their property was stolen.
June 13, 2005 9:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
I find this compilation very useful. Thanks.
June 13, 2005 11:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
hour.
June 14, 2005 4:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Given that Noe is a Republican and seems to have given the proceeds of his thefts to Republican campaigns, why exactly would this scandal be bad for Blue Ohio?
June 14, 2005 5:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Does anybody on the ground there have a take on how this will affect Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell? Is he tainted?
June 14, 2005 6:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
For something like 28 consecutive years, Illinois had Republican Governors. But the most recent (and indicted) ex-gov was so over the top that Illinois now has it's first Democratic gov in over a generation.
Hopefully, the stench will get so bad, that Ohio voters will throw the Repugs out during the next election.
June 14, 2005 7:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Looks like another instance where we have to turn a Red State Blue...
June 14, 2005 7:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks.
Duckman GR
June 14, 2005 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
In all fairness I must point out a few things.
1. The Il Gov mentioned above was also had his name come up w/ the Nobel Peace Prize People due to his actions to stop the death penalty in our state.
2. I grew up in Toledo; The Blade has traditionally been painfully empty. This series and another recent one on viet era issues suggests real progress.
3. Toledo is a strong strong bastion of blue in a state that once was almost all blue ('cept Cinci and down that way)
4. We Democrats (and I'm as yellow dog as the yellower-est of 'em) lost this state and the country cause we don't have any real vision other than 'hey! We're not the ones losing Coins!'
5. Our President Gov in IL is finding out that he needs a bit more than "I'm not from the Crooks' Party" to lead.
So Schadenfreude is all fine and good but, so what really? What are we offering?
June 14, 2005 2:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
The latest and greatest from the State of Ohio. In July 1998, the Bureau of Workers Compensation gave $80 million to Albriond Capital, run by Alan Brian Bond, to invest. The total loss from this investment was over $3.86 million. In December 1999 The Securities and Exchange Commission sued Bond allegeing he received more than $6.9 million dollars in kickbacks from brokerage firms in connection with the managment of funds. At the same time criminal charges were filed in US District Court in NY. Ohio keeps doing business with Albriond after the charges are filed. Bond is arrested in August 2001. On August 10, 2001 the SEC freezes Bond's assets. Oh yes, Ohio is still playing Bond. Finally, in late October 2001, the State stops doing business with Bond.
During 1997 and 1998 Bond and associates gave campaign contributions of $5500.00 Ken Blackwell (r-then state treasurer, current sce.of state and candidate for gov), $2000 to Lee Fisher ( d- then candidate for Gov.) and $1000 to Betty Montgomery ( r-then attorney general, current aduitor ? and current candidate for gov.)
In Ohio, no one watches the store. Bond, Coins, Lay. That's a current total loss of approx. $220 million, plus the borrowing of over $200 million to meet day to day activities no one is talking about.
June 15, 2005 6:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
I grew up in Toledo; The Blade has traditionally been painfully empty. This series and another recent one on viet era issues suggests real progress.
Best regards, Katya, CEO of facebook, iscsi virtual machine
March 11, 2011 8:25 AM | Reply | Permalink