Bush Donor Pleads Guilty To Illegal Gifts
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
TOLEDO, Ohio – A coin dealer and prominent GOP fund-raiser at the center of an Ohio political scandal pleaded guilty yesterday to federal charges he illegally funneled about $45,000 to President Bush’s re-election campaign.
Tom Noe, once a powerful political figure who also raised money for Ohio Republicans, still is charged with embezzlement in an ill-fated $50 million coin investment that he managed for the state workers’ compensation fund.
The investment scandal has been a major embarrassment for Ohio’s ruling Republicans and given Democrats a better shot at winning state offices this year, including the governor’s office, which has been under GOP control since 1991.
Investigators do not know whether Noe used money from the state coin fund for campaign contributions.
Noe was charged with exceeding federal campaign contribution limits, using others to make the contributions, and causing the Bush campaign to submit a false campaign-finance statement.
He said yesterday that he pleaded guilty to “spare my family and many dear friends” the ordeal of a trial.
Noe, 51 ,has been free on bond since he was indicted in October. Prosecutors planned to recommend a sentence of 2 to 2 1/2 years. The maximum sentence would be five years on each of three counts and a combined $950,000 in fines. A sentencing date was not set.
Federal prosecutors have said the case was the largest campaign money laundering scheme prosecuted under the 2002 campaign finance reform law, which set limits on donations.
Prosecutors said Noe gave $45,400 directly or indirectly to 24 friends and associates, who made the campaign contributions in their own names, allowing him to skirt the $2,000 limit on individual contributions.
Noe wrote several checks just under the cap to avoid suspicion, according to prosecutors. All of the checks were written in the eight days leading up to a fund-raiser in October 2003 at a downtown Columbus hotel.
Authorities said Mr. Bush’s campaign committee was unaware of the alleged contribution scheme and unknowingly submitted a false campaign report to the Federal Election Commission.
