Important scandals Ohio gubernatorial election, 2006

at low point in popularity in november 2005, taft garnered 6.5% approval rating. according polling organization survey usa, lower proportion governor in united states. poll taken in may 2006 indicated 2% of ohio residents approved of taft s performance. low approval ratings led pollster john zogby comment, m not aware of s ever sunk lower.

taft s low approval ratings follow several years of scandals. in 2005, taft pleaded no contest 4 ethics violations involving illegal gifts totaling $5,800. convicted of 4 misdemeanors , ordered pay $4,000 fine , apologize people of ohio. taft ohio governor convicted of crime while in office.

thomas noe , coingate

in 1996 republican controlled ohio general assembly removed restriction requiring state investments in safer, though lower-yielding, bonds. after restriction eliminated, hundreds of millions of dollars in state funds invested number of investment firms close ties republican party. among investments $50 million of ohio bureau of workers compensation fund given thomas noe, investor in rare , unusual coins , major donor republican party including then-governor bob taft.

in 2005 revealed noe account $13 million of original investment. among missing funds 2 coins worth on $300,000 alone. throughout 2005, there protracted legal battle on release of records noe claimed privileged , prosecutors claimed in public domain. ohio supreme court ruled 5-2 in favor of prosecutors. on february 13, 2006, noe indicted on 53 counts, including: engaging in pattern of corrupt activity (which carries mandatory 10-year sentence), 11 counts of theft, 11 counts of money laundering, 8 counts of tampering records, , 22 counts of forgery. charges accuse noe of stealing $2 million. on november 20, 2006, noe found guilty of theft, money laundering, forgery , corrupt activity, , sentenced serve 18 years in prison, fined $213,000, ordered pay $2 million cost of prosecution , make restitution ohio bureau of worker s compensation.

also in 2006, noe pleaded guilty 3 charges of using on dozen people in 2004 illegal conduits make donations george w. bush s re-election campaign of on $45,000 in order skirt laws limiting donations in federal campaigns $2,000. noe convicted , sentenced 27 months in federal prison , ordered pay $136,000 fine.