Thomas Noe
Thomas W. Noe (born July 1954) is a former Ohio Republican party fundraiser and activist, guilty of money laundering for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign and of theft and corruption in the "Coingate scandal". A longtime resident of Toledo, Ohio, Noe and his wife, Bernadette, held several party positions and minor offices within the government of Ohio. He was also a prominent Republican fundraiser and served as chairman of the 2004 Bush-Cheney election campaign in Northwest Ohio and chairman of the Lucas County Republican party. Noe was also an avid coin dealer and owned various coin dealing companies, such as Capital Coin and Vintage Coins & Collectibles, as well as their subsidiaries. Organizations and offices The Republican Party Both Noe and his wife, Bernadette Restivo-Noe have been chairperson of the Lucas County Republican party. Thomas Noe was also chairman of the George W. Bush 2004 presidential campaign in Northwest Ohio, where he was convicted of making illegal contributions to the campaign. Board of Elections During the 2004 election, Noe's wife Bernadette was chairman of the Lucas County Board of Elections. In the 2004 election, the county experienced extreme voting difficulties, including criminal investigations and manipulation of the recount, and many officials resigned or were suspended. The Ohio Secretary of State told Bernadette to resign or be fired. She resigned from both the Lucas County Republican Party and the Lucas County Board of Elections in December 2004. Board of Regents Noe was appointed to the Ohio Board of Regents, which oversees Ohio's public colleges and universities, by former Ohio Governor George Voinovich in 1995 to complete a vacated term. Noe was reinstated for a full 9-year term in 1999 by Governor Bob Taft. In late 2004, Noe wrote to the Ohio Ethics Commission to seek an opinion on his involvement with Hi-Genomics LLC which licenses a patent on plant genetic engineering from the University of Toledo. Noe was vice-president of Hi-Genomics LLC and owned a 23% stake in the company. Noe's position on the Board of Regents was deemed to be a conflict of interest by the Ohio Ethics Commission. Noe was told to either resign from the Board, divest his interest in the company, or step down as vice-president of the company. Noe eventually sold back his units in Hi-Genomics to one of the other unitholders. Turnpike Commission In 2003 Governor Taft appointed Noe chairman of the Ohio Turnpike Commission for an 8-year term. On May 10, 2005, Noe resigned from the Turnpike Commission. Coin politics and business Apart from being President of his company, Thomas Noe Inc. (Noe owns 60%), Noe owns and/or manages many different companies that deal rare coins. His store, Vintage Coins & Collectibles (or Vintage Coins & Cards), is the parent company. Noe was also a statutory agent for the Professional Numismatists Guild, a nonprofit organization of top numismatists whose members follow a strict code of ethics, for more than 25 years. He resigned in May 2005. Noe served as chairman of the Ohio Commemorative Quarter