Scandal-Ridden Ohio Donor Met with Rove

Last week, it was revealed that troubled Bush fundraiser Thomas Noe used his influence to attend a strategy session with Bush-Cheney '04 officials and also that the fundraiser who helped organize a lunch for the President appeared before a grand jury investigating the event. At least one attendee was later reimbursed by Noe so that they could attend the lunch, a clear violation of campaign finance laws.

"This is further proof of the Republican Party's culture of corruption," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. "Noe raised vast sums for Bush, sometimes using questionable methods and was granted access to the President's top campaign aides. Republicans in Ohio and Washington have made this pay-to-play atmosphere par for the course. I again call on President Bush to return all money raised by Noe for his campaigns."

See below for a new document from DNC Research:

THOMAS NOE: NOT JUST OHIO'S PROBLEM ANYMORE

Thomas Noe, the man embroiled in at least six separate corruption investigations has been called "the man for Republicans to see in Northwest Ohio" If Noe's influence was confined to Ohio, Americans could be spared another round of corruption investigations with connections to national Republican leaders. Unfortunately Noe's connections reach high up into the halls of Republican power. But of the $100,000 or more raised by Noe for Bush’s campaign, just a small portion has been refunded. The Noe allegations are yet another encroaching scandal on the Bush Administration, which has five large fundraisers under federal investigation so far. Bush could clean up the mess by returning the money raised by these individuals and disassociating himself from them.

"We're going to have a lot of fun, and we're going to celebrate four more years of President Bush."
-Thomas Noe. [Toledo Blade, 1/19/05]

Latest News

Noe Scheduled "Strategy Session" With Mehlman and Rove. According to emails released by Ohio Governor Bob Taft's office, Thomas Noe used his influence to obtain a coveted invitation to a White House ceremony honoring the Ohio State University football team. The emails also revealed that Noe attended an "Ohio political strategy session" with Ken Mehlman and Collister "Coddy" Johnson, Bush's campaign manager and field director. Karl Rove was also listed as a possible attendant of the meeting. At the time, Noe's wife Bernadette was an elections official in Lucas County Ohio, an area that experienced extreme voting difficulties during the 2004 election, causing Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to ask for her resignation. [Toledo Blade, 7/7/05]
Toledo Blade E-Mail Graphic

• Additional Emails tie White House to Noe's effort to pick up votes in Lucas County. Throughout 2003 and 2004 the White House was in contact with Brian Hicks, a former Chief-of-Staff to Gov. Bob Taft, who later formed a firm that raised money for the Bush-Cheney campaign. Emails released by the Governor's office show that Hicks and the Bush Administration were targeting Lucas County as a key area for the President to pick up votes in Ohio. Noe participated in an Ohio strategy session in the White House in 2003 with Ken Mehlman, Bush-Cheney campaign manager and field director "Coddy" Johnson in 2003. [Toledo Blade, 7/10/2005]

Bush Fundraiser Testified before Federal Grand Jury about $1.4 million Raised. Jessica "Scottie" May, one of the fund-raisers hired by Brian Hicks to raise money for President Bush's re-election in Ohio recently appeared before a federal grand jury to testify about an October 30, 2003 luncheon with President Bush in Columbus that raised $1.4 million for the president's reelection. According to the Toledo Blade: "Federal authorities have been looking into whether Mr. Noe gave a number of people, including several prominent Toledo-area politicians, money in order for them to contribute to the campaign. Many of them attended the October fund-raiser." [Toledo Blade, 7/7/2005] At least one Noe associate has admitted being reimbursed by Noe for his contributions to the Bush-Cheney campaign. [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 6/3/2005]

Ohio Newspaper Compares Republicans' Noe "Cover up" to Watergate: "Watergate started out relatively small as a break-in at a political party's office suite, and before it could be hushed away, it blossomed into a crime which for the first time in American history took down a president. The current mess in Columbus started with some missing coins from a Bureau of Workers' Compensation investment portfolio, then escalated by tens of millions until, at last account, the monetary loss exceeded a quarter billion dollars. as the late Sen. Everett Dirksen might say: 'Now you're talking about real money!'...And just like Watergate, Republican Party attempts at damage control certainly seem like an effort to cover up." [Chillicothe Gazette, 7/11/2005]

Noe's Scandals

Republican Chairman Under at Least Six Separate Investigations He also happened to be a dealer in rare coins. And in 1998, the Ohio Workers' Compensation Bureau agreed to invest in a rare-coin fund that he controlled as a way to hedge its holdings in stocks and bonds, an investment that experts have called highly unorthodox. But this week, Mr. Noe's lawyers said that as much as $13 million of the state's $50 million investment in his two funds could not be accounted for. Mr. Noe, meanwhile, has become the focus of at least six investigations or audits involving either his handling of the coin investments or his campaign fund-raising. Federal investigators are also looking into his contributions to President Bush's 2004 campaign as ' Pioneer', raising more than $100,00". [New York Teims, 5/28/05]

• While Noe Collected Millions, State Assets Went Missing. According to a Toledo Blade investigation "two coins worth $300,000 had been lost in 2003. Then state officials acknowledged that another 119 coins worth $93,000 were missing." It is unclear to Ohio officials if Noe had the legal authority to invest the state's money on collectibles or whether the state was even the rightful owner of those items. During his time as administrator of the fund Noe collected over $3 million in fees from the state. [New York Times, 5/28/05]

Noe to Republicans: You Scratch My Back, I'll Donate Money to Your Campaign

Noe Attended White House Strategy Session With Ken Mehlman and Possibly Karl Rove, While His Wife Was an Ohio Elections Official. According to emails released by Ohio Governor Bob Taft's office, Thomas Noe used his influence to obtain a coveted invitation to a White House ceremony honoring the Ohio State University football team. The emails also revealed that Noe attended an "Ohio political strategy session" with Ken Mehlman and Collister "Coddy" Johnson, Bush's campaign manager and field director. Karl Rove was also listed as a possible attendee of the meeting. At the time, Noe's wife Bernadette was an elections official in Lucas County Ohio, an area that experienced extreme voting difficulties during the 2004 election, causing Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to ask for her resignation. [Toledo Blade, 7/7/05]

Noe Was "Man to See" in Northwest Ohio For Republicans. For nearly a decade, Thomas Noe has been the Republican Party's man to see in northwest Ohio, a confidant of governors and a prodigious fund-raiser for legislators, judges and just about every Republican statewide elected official. [New York Times, 5/28/05]

Noe was Regional Chairman of Bush-Cheney Campaign and Frequently Spoke with Rove. As a regional chairman of the campaign, Mr. Noe had frequent contact with Karl Rove, the architect of the President's re-election. And Ohio, it turned out, was the pivotal state in the election, narrowly pushing President Bush to victory. [Toledo Blade, 4/28/05]

• Bush Thanked Noe for "His Leadership". On October 29, 2004 at a campaign rally in Toledo, Ohio, Bush singled out Noe for his work on the campaign. Bush said, "I want to thank the grassroots activists. I want to thank my friends Bernadette Noe and Tom Noe for their leadership in Lucas County." After the speech, Bush and the first lady met with Noe and his wife backstage, to thank them for their "work on the campaign." [Toledo Blade, 10/30/04; Bush Remarks, 10/29/04]
• Noe was Pioneer for Bush's Reelection and Raised at Least $100,000. According to FEC filings Thomas Noe joined the elite ranks, and gained the access, of the Bush Pioneers, raising at least $100,000 for Bush's reelection campaign. [New York Times, 5/28/05]
• Noe Under Federal Investigation for Making Illegal Donations to Bush Campaign. According to FEC regulations, individuals can only donate $2,000 to a presidential candidate in the primary and another $2,000 in the general election. Noe is under investigation for possibly laundering additional contributions through other individuals, to skirt campaign finance rules. According to the Toledo Blade, "Gregory A. White, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, confirmed that his office, in conjunction with the FBI, is looking into Mr. Noe, who was chairman of the Bush-Cheney campaign in northwest Ohio. 'We have publicly confirmed the investigation of Mr. Noe in relation to some campaign contributions,' Mr. White said last night. He said the investigation has been ongoing for a couple of months, but declined to comment on its details. Officials with the U.S. Justice Department in Washington are aware of the investigation, Mr. White said." [Toledo Blade, 4/28/05]
• Noe Was Bush Pioneer and Opened His Own Wallet for Bush. According to FEC filings, Thomas Noe has donated thousands of dollars to National Republican politicians. Besides raising at least $100,000 for Bush's reelection and becoming a Bush Pioneer, Noe also donated his own money to the Republican political machine. During the 2004 election Noe donated $2,000 to the Bush-Cheney campaign and $2,000 to the Republican National Committee. Also, in 2000, Noe donated $1,000 to the Bush-Cheney campaign. [www.tray.com]

Noe Was Recommended to Coinage Advisory Committee by Hastert and Nominated by Secretary of Treasury John Snow. On April 23, President Bush signed into law the "American 5-Cent Coin Design Continuity Act of 2003" (Public Law 108-15), which established the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC). According to a Treasury Department press release Noe was recommended by Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and nominated by Snow. [Treasury Department Press Release, 5/16/03]

Noe Was a Long Time Contributor to National Republicans. Noe has been donating to National Republicans for years. Noe has donated $21,000 in the past two years to Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) and has donated to Republican Representatives Deborah Pryce GOP Conference Chairwoman, David Hobson Assistant Majority Whip, and Paul E. Gillmor Deputy Majority Whip. Noe and his wife also gave $5,000 a piece to the CARE political action committee and Ohio's 17 Star PAC. These PAC's have donated money to various national Republicans including Senator John Thune (R-SD), Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA). Noe has also donated to the Republican National Committee. [Columbus Dispatch, 4/28/05; www.tray.com]

Voinovich Administration Approved Ohio's $25 Million Investment in Noe's Coin Scheme. "In the 1990's, Mr. Noe, 50, was chairman of the Republican Party in Lucas County, which includes Toledo. His wife held the same position until last year. He was a friend of Gov. George V. Voinovich, now a senator, whose administration first approved a $25 million investment in Mr. Noe's rare-coin funds in 1998." Noe also, has given $21,000 in the past two years to Voinovich. [Columbus Dispatch, 4/28/05]