Thomas Noe

Thomas W. Noe (July 1954–) is an Ohio Republican party fundraiser and activist, guilty of money laundering for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign and of theft and corruption in the "Coingate" scandal. A longtime resident of Toledo, Ohio [http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050403/NEWS24/504030399] , Noe is a former member of the Ohio government in the United States and has had an impressive array of jobs and positions within the government of Ohio and even the federal government. He was also a prominent Republican party fundraiser and was actively involved in politics, serving as chairman of the 2004 Bush-Cheney election campaign in Northwest Ohio and a former chairman of the Lucas County Republican party, also in Ohio. Apart from his political activities Noe was also an avid coin dealer and owned various coin dealing companies, such as "Capital Coin" and "Vintage Coins & Collectibles", as well as their subsidiaries.

Thomas Noe is a Bush Pioneer fundraiser and has been involved in or connected to many different political scandals, involving a wide range of scandals including elections, fundraising, government investment, and conflicts of interest. He was found guilty for his actions in the Coingate scandal, and, separately, pleaded guilty on charges in May 2006 of money laundering in connection to his political fundraising.

Organizations and offices

The Republican Party

Both Noe and his wife Bernadette Restivo-Noe have been chairmen of the Lucas County Republican party. Noe was also chairman of the 2004 Bush-Cheney election campaign in Northwest Ohio. Noe is a convicted felon for making illegal contributions to the George W. Bush's 2004 presidential campaign [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14805486/=] .

Board of Elections

During the 2004 election, Noe's wife Bernadette was chairman of the Lucas County Board of Elections. In the 2004 election, the county experienced extreme voting difficulties, including criminal investigations and manipulation of the recount [http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/elections/lucas.htm] [http://rawstory.com/other/pdfs/lucasinquiryrawstory.pdf] , and many officials resigned or were suspended. The Ohio Secretary of State told Bernadette to resign or be fired. She resigned from both the Lucas County Republican Party and the Lucas County Board of Elections in December of 2004.

Board of Regents

Noe was appointed to the Ohio Board of Regents, which oversees Ohio's public colleges and universities, by former Ohio Governor George Voinovich in 1995 to complete a vacated term. Noe was reinstated for a full 9-year term in 1999 by Governor Bob Taft.

In late 2004, Noe wrote to the Ohio Ethics Commission to seek an opinion on his involvement with "Hi-Genomics LLC" which licenses a patent on plant genetic engineering from the University of Toledo. Noe was vice-president of "Hi-Genomics LLC" and owned a 23% stake in the company. Noe's position on the Board of Regents was deemed to be a conflict of interest by the Ohio Ethics Commission. Noe was told to either resign from the Board, divest his interest in the company, or step down as vice-president of the company. Noe eventually sold back his units in Hi-Genomics to one of the other unitholders.

Turnpike Commission

In 2003 Governor Taft appointed Noe chairman of the Ohio Turnpike Commission, which manages the Ohio Turnpike, for an 8-year term. On May 10, 2005 Noe resigned from the Turnpike Commission. [] [ [http://www.dispatch.com/2006/02/13/noeindict.pdf Noe Indictment] ]

On February 13, 2006, the Lucas County District Court of Ohio indicted Noe [http://www.columbusdispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/02/14/20060214-A1-00.html] , along with his business partner, Timothy LaPointe. [http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/02/14/20060214-A4-06.html] .

The prosecution presented their case in three weeks that Noe stole $2 million for person use; the defense argued that Noe's government contract allowed him the freedom to use the state's money however he wanted, but called no witnesses. The jury deliberated for three days before delivering their verdict. [cite news
url=http://www.wtol.com/global/story.asp?s=5644300
title=Jury Finds Tom Noe Guilty
date=November 13, 2006
publisher=WTOL-TV Toledo] On November 20, 2006, Thomas Noe was given an 18-year sentence, to be served after the 27-month federal sentence imposed in September, fined $213,000, "ordered to pay the cost of the prosecution, estimated at nearly $3 million, and ordered to pay restitution to the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation for the money missing from the rare-coin fund, estimated at $13.7 million." [cite news
url=http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061120/DEVELOPINGNEWS/311200001
title=Noe is sentenced to 18 years in state prison
author=Steve Eder and Mike Wilkinson
date=November 20, 2006
publisher=Toledao Blade]

Earlier, on August 17, 2005, Ohio Governor Bob Taft was charged with four criminal misdemeanors stemming from his failure to disclose golf outings paid for by lobbyists, as well as some undisclosed gifts. The gifts were varied, but included gifts from Noe. It was the first time an Ohio governor was ever been charged with a crime while in office. [http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050817/NEWS01/308170017]

Taft's former chief of staff, Columbus lobbyist Brian Hicks, and his assistant, Cherie Carroll, also were convicted of ethics violations in the widening Coingate scandal. Hicks was convicted of failing to disclose cut-rate vacations at the Noes' residence in the Florida Keys, and Carroll for accepting free meals from Noe at a downtown Columbus steakhouse.

See also

*Coingate

References

External links

* [http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050403/NEWS24/504030399 Noe got early start in rare coin business] by Mike Wilkinson, "Toledo Blade", April 3, 2005.
* [http://www.democrats.org/a/2005/07/scandal-ridden.php Scandal-Ridden Ohio Donor Met with Rove] , "DNC Research", July 11, 2005
* [http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051028/NEWS24/51028001/-1/NEWS Noe indicted: GOP backer is accused of laundering cash] Mike Wilkinson and James Drew, "Toledo Blade", October 28, 2005
* [http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060213/BREAKINGNEWS/60213015 Grand Jury Charges Noe with 53 Felony Counts] by Mike Wilkinson and James Drew, "Toledo Blade", February 13, 2006
* [http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060213/NEWS24/60212012 Chronology of Noe's Involvement (in Coingate), "Toledo Blade", February 13, 2006]
* [http://www.dispatch.com/2006/02/13/noeindict.pdf] Text of Noe's 53-count Indictment, February 13, 2006
* [http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1139910004214190.xml&coll=2 Coingate opens up flood of charges, Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 14, 2006]