Federal authorities confirmed yesterday that they are investigating prominent Republican donor Thomas W. Noe, who was President Bush’s re-election chairman in northwestern Ohio and has given tens of thousands to GOP candidates.
U.S. Attorney Gregory A. White in Cleveland said the investigation of Noe, of Maumee, is related to campaign contributions. He declined to elaborate.
"We are publicly acknowledging there is an investigation," White said. "It is ongoing."
He said the investigation has been proceeding "for several months" but that there’s no date for completing it.
Sources said a federal search warrant of Noe’s River Road home was executed last night.
When Noe declined to explain the origin of at least $25,000 that ended up with the Bush campaign, the search warrant was executed, one source said.
The source said a dozen other public officials or associates from Lucas County were being questioned regarding $2,000 checks they gave to the Bush campaign in 2003-04.
All of the contributions reportedly originated in the same bank account but were divvied up to circumvent a $2,000 federal limit on individual contributors.
Noe, who is chairman of the Ohio Turnpike Commission and a member of the Ohio Board of Regents, couldn’t be reached last night.
His attorney, John Richardson, told the Associated Press that Noe is aware of the investigation but that no specific allegations have been made.
Noe’s wife, Bernadette, hung up when reached on her cell phone.
Ohio Republican Party Chairman Robert T. Bennett said he was unaware of the investigation but that, to his knowledge, no one has requested any information from his office.
Thomas Noe, the Lucas County Republican Party chairman from 1992-95, became one of 30 "pioneers" or "rangers" from Ohio for his role in raising more than $100,000 for the Bush campaign in 2004.
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