The Ohio Coingate scandal today reached a new depth, with the governor having to get a lawyer.
As a widening scandal at the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation threatens his administration, Gov. Bob Taft last night admitted that he had failed to include golf outings on his annual financial disclosure statements filed with the Ohio Ethics Commission.
A source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, yesterday said that Tom Noe, a Toledo-area coin dealer at the heart of the state investment scandal, told him at Toledo’s Inverness Club in 2002 that he was playing golf there with Governor Taft.
The source, who had played golf in the morning, said Mr. Noe told him he would play golf with the governor that afternoon. The source told The Blade that he did not see Mr. Taft, but heard later there may have been other occasions when Ohio’s governor played the Inverness course with Mr. Noe.
Mark Rickel, Mr. Taft’s press secretary, refused to confirm or deny that Mr. Taft had failed to list one or more golf outings involving Mr. Noe on his financial disclosure statements.
He also would not say how many golf outings Mr. Taft had failed to disclose since taking office in 1999.
State law requires officeholders to list each source of gifts over $75. A round of golf at Inverness for a guest is about $140.
The governor’s office last night issued a statement about the golf outings after The Blade earlier in the day began asking questions about whether Mr. Taft would file an addendum to his financial disclosure statement.
“On my own initiative, I have determined that financial disclosure forms filed annually with the Ohio Ethics Commission failed to include golf outings in which I participated. Realizing that I had made errors, I thought the most appropriate course of action was to notify the Commission. I did so on June 14, 2005.
“I am currently conducting a full review of previously filed disclosure statements to ensure that the Commission has received complete and accurate information. I take full responsibility for any errors and omissions and will continue to cooperate with the Commission in this matter,” Mr. Taft wrote.
The governor attached to the statement a letter dated June 14 to Merom Brachman, chairman of the Ethics Commission.
“It has recently come to my attention that I failed to list a number of golf outings or events on my financial disclosure forms over the past several years,” he wrote.
It is a first-degree misdemeanor to knowingly falsify an ethics form, with a maximum penalty of six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
Mr. Taft has hired an attorney to represent him on the matter.
The Ohio Democratic Party is ratcheting up the pressure, with new TV ads attacking the corruption and growing scandal, and the DNC is ready to pour money and support into Ohio in 2005 and 2006 in an effort to overcome the obvious problems with one party rule.
The governor has forced aids to resign under very similar circumstances in the past, the question remains - will he apply the same standard to his own behaviour. It is also emerging that many other politicians also have some serious issues with not filing their ethics forms truthfully.
Noe attorney William C. Wilkinson said he thinks he is aware of every instance in which Noe entertained public officials but that Noe will discuss those details only with government investigators.
He declined to say how many public officials or what type of entertainment was involved.
Failure to disclose golf outings involving those doing business with the state has played at least a partial role in the departure of four top state officials during the past three years:
• Randall A. Fischer resigned as director of the Ohio School Facilities Commission in July 2002. He pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors for accepting free rounds of golf, hockey tickets and meals from contractors to whom he awarded unbid contracts worth millions.
• Former Consumers’ Counsel Robert S. Tongren quit in November 2003 after an investigation found he accepted dozens of expensive golf outings and meals from utility lobbyists. He admitted to four misdemeanors.
• When a probe in September 2003 showed that Richard P. Frenette, manager of the state fair, and other employees improperly accepted golf passes and other favors from vendors doing business with the fair, Taft called on the Ohio Expositions Commission to "take prompt and appropriate action." Frenette quit two days later.
• Taft issued a quit-or-be-fired ultimatum in August 2002 to Gino Zomparelli, director of the Ohio Turnpike Commission, the day after a probe found he and 30 other turnpike officials were showered with golf outings, free meals and sports tickets by companies doing business with the agency. Zomparelli quit the next day.
Looks like Noe is prepared to sing, judging by his Lawyers comments above. Anyone who has had dealings with this man, and has taken his money, pay for play ought to be as concerned as the Governor with going to jail.
Now come on...how can you fire someone for doing something and not say to yourself, "Let me see, did I report those golf outings with Noe?" Of course Taft didn't "forget." The Ohio Republicans are just so arrogant and used to doing things their way that they believe they can get away with ANYTHING! I'm so glad that Taft is a golfer since he will have SO much time on his hands in the very near future. Way to go Toledo Blade!
Ken in California
Posted by: Ken Hampton | Friday, June 24, 2005 at 06:06 PM