The Attorney General Jim Petro (R) and the State Auditor Betty Montgomery (R) “failed to take action” for nearly two months after they learned the indicted Republican donor Tom Noe was misusing funds, according to the Toledo Blade. Montgomery and Petro both received campaign contributions from Noe and his wife, receiving $8,100 and $6,000 respectively. Petro is also being accused of taking away state legal work from two law firms after their principals refused to contribute to his campaign. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the FBI is investigating allegations made by Jack Morrison and Ray Weber that Petro “punished them in 2002 for not supporting his campaign by withdrawing special-counsel contracts they had received from former Attorney General Betty Montgomery to handle patent and intellectual- property matters.” The Plain Dealer reports that, “Petro has been dogged by complaints that he has used the special counsel program as a fund-raising ATM, collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars from lawyers after awarding them unbid contracts.”

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