BREAKING: Tom Noe Indicted In Coingate

Tom Noe, the coin dealer behind Ohio’s “Coingate” has been indicted by a
federal grand jury.

Via the

Toledo Blade:

Noe indicted in Bush money-laundering
case

 

A federal grand jury has indicted Tom Noe, the former Maumee coin dealer
suspected of laundering money into President Bush’s reelection campaign, Mr.
Noe’s attorney told The Blade today.

Jon Richardson said he was called this afternoon and informed of the
indictment. The details of the indictment are being withheld until a press
conference at 4:30 p.m.

Mr. Richardson said there were no negotiations between Mr. Noe and
prosecutors.

“I was told today,” he said.

Gregory A. White, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio,
will hold a news conference in Toledo to announce “a major public corruption
indictment.”

The U.S. Attorney’s office announced in April that it was investigating
Mr. Noe for possible violations of federal campaign finance laws. Sources
have told The Blade that authorities believe Mr. Noe gave money to several
people who then contributed to the Bush-Cheney campaign.

A number of people have testified before a federal grand jury impaneled
in Toledo, including Toledo City Councilman Betty Shultz, Lucas County
Commissioner Maggie Thurber, and Donna Owens, a former Toledo mayor. Each
made contributions at a Bush fund-raiser in October, 2003, in Columbus.

Local law-enforcement sources said investigators are looking at
contributions made by people from the Toledo area to the Bush campaign at
the fund-raiser, at which the campaign raised $1.4 million.

Mr. Noe, who was tagged a Bush “Pioneer” for helping to raise at least
$100,000 for Bush campaign, sponsored a table at the event, and invited a
number of people to attend.

An individual can give only $2,000 to a presidential candidate in the
primary and another $2,000 in the general election, according to federal
law. Throughout the 2004 campaign — primary and general — Mr. Noe
contributed $2,000. His contribution came in August, 2003.

Prosecutors were trying to determine if Mr. Noe gave people money in
order for them to give to the Bush campaign, allowing Mr. Noe to exceed
federal spending limits.

Considering the efforts of Mr. Noe was one that sparked the Reform Ohio Now
election amendments which get voted on next Tuesday, this news could not come at
a better time. Hopefully here in Ohio, we will get be able to clean up the
corruption that is called Columbus.

Now for the indictments from Fitzgerald.