We reported on Karl Roves lawyer previously getting paid by a client in gold bars, it would seem Tom Noe's lawyers didn't want to get out done.
COLUMBUS - Law firms reaped thousands of dollars in fees from the state's $50 million rare coin investment with Tom Noe, raising questions about how the coin funds were managed and whether they served as Mr. Noe's personal account.
Facing criminal and civil action by state and federal authorities, Mr. Noe used money from the state coin funds he managed to pay more than $12,000 to law firms during 2004 and 2005, according to records released by the attorney general's office last week.
Attorney General Jim Petro said last week that Mr. Noe transferred nearly $4 million from the coin funds to private accounts, alleging that the money was spent on luxury vacation homes, automobiles, and boats.
As the state inspector general began to investigate the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation's coin funds in April, Mr. Noe hired the same lawyer responsible for vetting the bureau's investments and paid him from the state coin fund's checking account.
"They used the injured workers' dollars to defend the state and Tom Noe," said state Rep. Chris Redfern (D., Catawba Island), the House minority leader. "And he probably filed briefs from houses bought with BWC money."
The coin funds paid a $10,000 retainer to David Robinson, a partner at Schottenstein, Zox, & Dunn and special counsel for the bureau, to defend Mr. Noe and his personal business, Vintage Coin and Collectibles. Mr. Robinson was unavailable for comment.
Despite receiving faxed copies of the checks paid to the Columbus-based law firm, Alan Starkoff, a Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn partner, declined to acknowledge whether Mr. Robinson had appropriately considered the conflict of having both Mr. Noe and the bureau as clients.
This massive scandal seems to have no bottom. Is there anyone who hasn't taken injured workers money ?
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