Coingate: Noe was laundering money for Republicans

Out of his business, into his personal account, then into the outstretched hands of Republican candidates:

Tom Noe often transferred tens of thousands of dollars from the Ohio rare-coin funds he managed to his personal business before bankrolling Republican candidates and causes with contributions and loans.

A Blade examination of the accounting records from Mr. Noe’s $50 million rare-coin venture shows a pattern of large sums of money moving from the coin funds to his personal business, Vintage Coins and Collectibles, in the days and weeks before the coin dealer and his wife, Bernadette, made contributions to Republican candidates ranging from President Bush to U.S. Sen. George Voinovich and Gov. Bob Taft down to Lucas County Auditor Larry Kaczala.

Mr. Noe, who was chairman of the President Bush’s re-election efforts in northwest Ohio, was labeled a Bush "Pioneer" for raising at least $100,000 for the campaign.
(via Toledo Blade)

When we recall that Noe's lady wife, Bernadette, was on the board that steered their country to Diebold voting machines (back), it would be irresponsible not to speculate that some of the laundered money ended up in the hands of a rouge voting machine programmer. Eh?