This is a follow up on the story I reported on yesterday about the Republicans being charged ethics violations in Ohio.On Wednesday they all pleaded no contest:
In a scandal that has shaken the state's Republican-dominated government, four Ohio politicians pleaded no contest Wednesday to ethics violations.
Lucas County Commissioner Maggie Thurber, Toledo City Councilwoman Betty Shultz, former Toledo Mayor Donna Owens and former state Rep. Sally Perz were fined $1,000 each on misdemeanor charges of failing to report gifts worth more than $75.
They were accused of receiving money from prominent GOP donor Tom Noe, then contributing it to President Bush's re-election campaign in their own names in an alleged scheme by Noe to skirt laws limiting individual contributions to $2,000.
The four bring to 14 the number of people charged in the scandal centered on Noe, who was hired by the Ohio Workers' Compensation Bureau to manage a $50 million investment in rare coins.
Noe pleaded guilty last month to giving $45,000 directly or indirectly to two dozen friends and associates who then donated the money in their names to the Bush campaign. He is awaiting trial on state charges of embezzling more than $1 million from the coin fund.
The scandal has been a major embarrassment for Ohio's ruling Republicans and led to ethics charges against Gov. Bob Taft, who pleaded no contest to failing to report gifts.
Democrats have a better shot at winning state offices this year because of the investigation, including the governor's office that has been under GOP control since 1991.
Yep, there is no nationwide Republican culture of corruption. Ha! That is just laughable nowadays!
John Boehner and his Republican cronies are now paying for the system that they have spawned.
And come this November, there will be no contest when it comes to the Democrats taking control of the U.S. Congress.
Ethics reform is on the way!
