• Yet another Bush Pioneer pleads guilty, this time in Ohio. Tom Noe, a big Republican fundraiser and coin collector, admitted "that he used friends and colleagues to illegally pour thousands of dollars into the effort to re-elect President Bush," according to the Toledo Blade. Noe joins Jack Abramoff as Bush Pioneers who will be sent to prison. Brent Wilkes, alleged to have bribed Jailed Rep. Duke Cunningham, is also a Bush Pioneer under investigation by the Justice Department. Noe will face up to 30 months in prison.
• According to the New York Times, ethics officials testifying in the trial of David Safavian stated that he "had not told them important facts about his relationship with Abramoff" while he was working at the General Services Administration.
• The San Bernadino Sun reports that San Bernadino County has been asked by federal investigators to turn over "records related to the county’s contract with a top D.C. lobbying firm tied to Rep. Jerry Lewis."
• Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) continues to face questions due to his relationship with Jack Abramoff, according to the Associated Press.

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Looking for a piece of congressional history, a silver Ferrari, a 19^th century Louie-Philippe commode, or rare coins? This Thursday, “members of the public will have a chance to bid on dozens of luxury items that” jailed ex-Rep. Duke Cunningham purchased with the bribes he accepted from Mitchell Wade and Brent Wilkes, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The Toledo Blade also reports a scandal auction, this one at the state level. The coins that Republican fundraiser Tom Noe illegally invested Ohio state money in are going on sale. Bids are due by March 29^th.

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Rep. Katherine Harris’ (R-FL) run for the US Senate is in danger of being torpedoed, according to the New York Times, after it was revealed in a plea agreement that defense contractor Mitchell Wade gave Harris’ campaign illegal donations totaling $32,000 and later asked for her help in securing a government contract. … The government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) “could draw scrutiny from the IRS” which is “launching enhanced education and enforcement efforts, based on the findings and analysis of the 2004 election cycle,” according to The Hill. CREW claims, “There is clearly a pattern of attempting to intimidate organizations that criticize Republican members of Congress. … Frankly, it won’t work. We will not be bullied into silence.” … Meanwhile CREW is filing a complaint with the IRS stating that the activities of Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform Foundation “may violate IRS regulations and require a revocation of their tax-exempt status.” … The Toledo Blade reports that Ohio GOP fundraiser and coin collector Tom Noe will stand trial on political money laundering charges on July 24^th. … Roll Call reports that in the post-Abramoff atmosphere lobbyists are “going back to class” to brush up on their ethics. American League of Lobbyists President Paul Miller provides this priceless story, “When he told his mother 10 years ago that he was going into ‘government relations,’ she said, ‘Oh, you’re the guy who takes the bags of money to Members of Congress!’”

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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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Ohio Republican Fundraiser Tom Noe was indicted on 14 felony counts, according to the Toledo Blade. Noe, who was tapped to invest state funds in rare coins, is being charged with “22 counts of forgery, 11 counts of money laundering, eight counts of tampering with records, six counts of aggravated theft, five counts of grand theft, and one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity under the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) act.” Noe has already been indicted three felonies for laundering $40,000 to President Bush’s campaign.

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A former aide to Ohio Governor Bob Taft (R) will be charged on three misdemeanors related to his violation of state campaign finance laws by funneling money from embattled Republican fundraiser Tom Noe to three Republican state Supreme Court candidates. The Toledo Blade reports that H. Douglas Talbott did not attend the meeting of the Ethics Commission where the commissioners voted 6-0 to refer Talbott’s violations to the Franklin County prosecutor. The governor, Bob Taft, has already pleaded guilty to his actions involving Tom Noe.

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