The Workers’ Comp scandal here in Ohio is getting more involved. The number of victims are also increasing in this scandal:

Hundreds of injured workers temporarily received less in state benefits than they deserved because of poor record-keeping at the state insurance fund for injured workers, according to a memo released Monday by Gov. Bob Taft.

The memo’s disclosure was the latest twist in the scandal surrounding the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ compensation. Taft released the 4-year-old document three days after the Ohio Supreme Court narrowed the governor’s right to shield certain internal reports.

State Sen. Marc Dann, a Democrat running for attorney general, sued for the memos to learn more about problems at the bureau. The agency is still recovering from a scandal that revealed an unorthodox $50 million investment in rare coins and a $215 million hedge-fund loss.

The scandal led to Taft’s historic no contest plea last year on charges he failed to report several golf outings, and has given Democrats hope of breaking a Republican lock on state political offices.

Bob Taft is the first governor in the history of Ohio to have been convicted of a crime while in office and also the first to have his powers limited by the state Supreme Court, which is a Republican majority.

This is also so disturbing when you look at the current economic and job situation here in Ohio. This state has lost countless jobs due to outsourcing and more losses are already scheduled. That is one of the reasons John Kerry focused on the towns with closed down factories here during his campaign.

What is even more ironic is the fact that this scandal helped benefit the White House.

The reports include two references to Tom Noe, the GOP fundraiser and rare-coin dealer at the heart of the scandal. Noe, then a member of the Ohio Turnpike Commission, met with Gordon Proctor, director of the state Transportation Department, in 2004 to resolve disagreements between the turnpike and transportation officials.

Noe has pleaded guilty to federal charges of illegally funneling $45,000 to President Bush’s re-election campaign and is awaiting sentencing. He faces an October trial in state court on charges he stole $1 million from the fund.

That’s right. George Bush benefited from the suffering of Ohio’s injured workers. When you combine that and the fact that our state’s chief election officer, Ken Blackwell, was the state campaign chair for Bush then it is no wonder how Bush stole won Ohio.