From

Reuters

Ohio gov. charged with criminal
misdemeanors

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) – Prosecutors in Ohio charged Gov. Bob Taft on
Wednesday with four criminal misdemeanor counts alleging violations of state
ethics laws for not reporting golf games and other outings paid for by others.

The charges marked the first time an Ohio governor has been charged with a
crime while in office. A Taft spokesman said the governor would not resign and
would have a statement on Thursday.

The charges against the Republican governor also marked another step in a
still-unfolding scandal dubbed “Coingate” that involves $13 million in missing
state funds and a top Ohio Republican fund-raiser.

Stephen McIntosh, chief prosecutor for the Columbus city attorney, said
most of the outings involved golf but also included meals and tickets to see
the Columbus Blue Jackets hockey team.

The undeclared amounts totaled a little less than $6,000, McIntosh said.
The governor subsequently notified state ethics commission officials about the
outings that had been omitted in previous filings of yearly disclosure forms.
McIntosh said the governor is required to report gifts or benefits of $75 or
more.

Prosecutors were asking that Taft appear in court on Thursday morning,
though if he chooses to enter a not guilty plea only his lawyer would have to
be present, he said.

If found guilty, he faces fines of $1,000 and six months in jail on each
count, though jail time was considered unlikely.

McIntosh said the probe of Taft grew out of an investigation into
fund-raiser Tom Noe and the state’s Bureau of Workers Compensation.

Last month, Taft’s former chief of staff was found guilty of violating
ethics laws by not disclosing gifts from Noe, who is at the heart of the
Coingate scandal.

Noe was a rare coin dealer who allegedly mismanaged a $50 million state
investment in rare coins. Noe’s attorney has said $13 million was missing from
the investment made for Ohio’s Bureau of Worker’s Compensation, a $15 billion
fund that makes payments to disabled workers.

Gov. Taft’s father and grandfather both served in the U.S. Senate and his
great-grandfather, William Howard Taft, was the 27th U.S. president, as well
as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The country’s lowest rated Governor is sinking even lower. Most likely this
will not mark the end of the troubles for Ohio’s Governor as the Coingate
investigation continues on. Justice is finally coming to my state.