Ohio2006 Blog

Although the prosecution chose not to emphasize the connection at trial, the Toledo Blade reports today that the evidence at trial shows disgraced Republican powerbroker Tom Noe made contributions to Betty Montgomery (R-Perrysburg) and other prominent Republicans right after misappropriating investment funds from the Bureau of Workers Compensation:

Records show that Noe contributed $1,000 to Ms. Montgomery's campaign account in March, 2004, just days after transferring $25,000 in coin funds into his account. ...

Then, on April 7, Noe and his wife, Bernadette, who shared a checking account, wrote $4,500 in contributions to Bob Taft, the then-secretary of state running for governor. Two days later, Ms. Noe sent $2,000 to George Voinovich, then-Ohio governor who was running for the U.S. Senate. ...

Others besides Senator Voinovich, Governor Taft, and Auditor Montgomery, based on the timing of Noe's transfers, who may have gotten state coin-fund money: Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine's leadership PAC, state Sen. Randy Gardner, and Lucas County Auditor Larry Kaczala. All got checks from Noe in the days and weeks after he wrote himself checks with coin-fund money. ...

Records show that Noe gave campaign contributions totaling $5,350 to Ms. Montgomery since he received the first $25 million from workers' compensation officials to set up his Capital Coin Fund. It is impossible to say with certainty whether the political contributions came from coin-fund money because the coin-fund transfers into Noe's accounts were mingled with other deposits.

For Mr. Redfern, the state Democratic chairman, the Noe contributions reveal a pattern regardless of what evidence has been presented in Judge Thomas Osowik's courtroom. "That pattern is obvious, and it defies logic for someone to suggest otherwise," he said.

Of course, all Montgomery wants to talk about is how the audit she did after the story broke became the backbone of the criminal case.