Bernadette Noe Republican Ohio Convention

In case Tom Noe and his infamous “Coingate” scandal aren’t enough to cast a long shadow on Ohio’s election process, the questionable activities of Bernadette Noe (Republican Ohio Convention delegate and Lucas County Board of Elections Chairman) during the 2004 Presidential Election only add to the ever-darkening story of election abuse. Here at www.justsaynoemore.com you can read all about it.

Coins, Contributions, and Questionable Voting, Oh My…

Like Tom, Bernadette’s troubles circle around her political fundraising. Speculation began when Noe (also chairman of the Lucas County Republican party) accepted “loans” totaling $65,000 without seeking executive committee approval. When considering the source of these loans, Bernadette’s credibility becomes more questionable: Tom Noe. Since the loans were not approved and—according to sources—Bernadette never planned to repay them in the first place, officials later classified them as election contributions from Tom Noe.

While not illegal, Mrs. Noe’s actions violated party bylaws and cast doubt on her involvement with her husband’s money laundering into the campaign of President Bush. Noe resigned from her position in December 2004. However, even more questions concerning her involvement in Ohio’s controversial 2004 Presidential Election results—and Tom Noe’s coins, contributions, and fraud trial known as “Coingate”—have arisen.

Tom Noe, after “misplacing” millions of dollars entrusted to him by the Ohio Worker’s Compensation Fund, was indicted after the revelation that Noe had funneled over $45,000 of his own money through accomplices—bypassing the $2,000 federal cap on campaign donations.

Muddying the waters even more, Mrs. Noe came under fire again after the controversial 2004 election win for President Bush. Noe, who served as Chairman of the Lucas County Board of Elections, only added to the theory that Ohio’s votes were tainted, at best.

First, authorities discovered that 12 partisan volunteers who arrived unexpectedly during voting tabulation on election night (and were later escorted away by police after refusing to leave the premises) came at the behest of Mrs. Noe herself.

Mrs. Noe also failed to ensure the security of ballot boxes and voting machines, causing concern over potential vote tampering. In addition, Ralph Nader was not removed from voting ballots. Most interesting, however, is the accusation that she also tampered with the three percent hand recount.

Bernadette Noe, Republican Ohio Convention delegate, faces scrutiny from an ever-growing number of people who believe that Bush’s 2004 victory was earned by corrupt means. No matter what history decides, a long shadow has forever been cast on the infallibility of election results, and Bernadette Noe stands in the foreground.

Visit www.justsaynoemore.com for more information.