Seven GOP donors fined for illegal contributions

[spotbird]

Source: Buffalo News

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Seven GOP contributors have agreed to pay civil fines for making illegal contributions to President Bush's re-election campaign, the Federal Election Commission said Monday.

The fines are part of a wider political scandal involving Ohio fundraiser Tom Noe, who in 2006 pleaded guilty to federal charges that he illegally funneled about $45,000 to the Bush campaign.


.......

The FEC assessed civil penalties against seven of the donors, and took no action against 17 others:

- Joseph F. Restivo $25,000

- Donna Owens $9,000

- Samuel S. Thurber $9,000

- Margaret L. Thurber $9,000

- Sally A. Perz $7,000

- Howard D. Talbott $5,000

- Betty K. Schultz $1,500


Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/ILLEGAL_GOP_CONTRIBUTIONS?SITE=NYBUE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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Fines like this will prevent abuse.

It is interesting that most of those sanctioned are women.

[roseBudd]

1. Are these people Ohioans?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. It's more LBN if they're not fined.

Is it not?

[HillbillyBob]

3. Sounds like time for some really close examination, even Dems too.

nt

[Ian David]

6. I can already guess which ones would come up dirty...

Dianne Feinstein, Rockefeller, and Schumer.

I predict those three are the dirtiest of the dirty Dems and will eventually serve time.

I'll also predict that someone will find some excuse to investigate the hell out of Barney Frank, and while he might resign, he'll come out of it not only vindicated, but more empowered than ever.

[davidinalameda]

8. and why would Rockefeller be dirty?

[Ian David]

4. Figures The GOP would be tied to S.P.E.C.T.R.E.

[LiberalLovinLug]

5. It will all be forgotten

That's how they do it. They cheat and lie to win, and they don't give a rat's ass if they get caught. They know win or loose, the MSM will bury it as quick as they can.

It definitely WILL NOT prevent more abuse.

[aquart]

11. That's okay, sweetie. Fine them anyway.

[Historic NY]

7. No, no Repukeicans.....sacks of s--t.

[JayMusgrove]

9. REPUBLICANS cheating over money??????????? I'm SHOCKED!

I tell you SHOCKED!!!!!!!

Republicans cheat? Bush was a national leader because he cheated!

[gratuitous]

10. Golly, if Ohio had gone the other way in 2004 . . .

Oh well, what's done is done. I guess there's no sense wallowing in the past. I mean, there's no way to prove definitively that there was any cheating in Ohio. And even if there was, there's no definitive way to prove that it helped Bush win when he really lost Ohio. And even if Bush really did lose Ohio and the 2004 election . . . Well, what's done is done.

[lonestarnot]

12. kick

[starroute]

13. Republicans do a lot of their crap under the women's names

Often it's the wives -- Christine DeLay, Julie Doolittle, Heather Connell. Sometimes they're actually active in whatever scam is going on, and sometimes their names are just being used for cover.

In this case, in particular, I believe the charges had to do with people allowing their names to be used as donors for money that didn't really come from them, thereby avoiding campaign finance restrictions. Here's something originally from the Toledo Blade in 2005:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/2/14342/13035

City Council Member Betty Shultz, Lucas County Commissioner Maggie Thurber, and former Toledo Mayor Donna Owens all appeared before the grand jury in U.S. District Court. So, too, did Joe Kidd, former director of the Lucas County elections board, and Mike Boyle, president of a local company. Looking at the hostory of these folks campaign contributions from the Ohio Secretary of States' website and the Federal election commision is quite revealing.

Maggie Thurber, since 1994 gave $3567 to candidates, then in 2003 at this bush fundraiser suddently found $1950 to drop. She went from nickel and dime contributions to the max. Maggies husband has NO contributions on the OH Sec of State website, federally he gave $1950 to bush, and the only other entry was a couple of $250 to a congress critter.

Donna Owens
Gave $1175 in total since 1993 and then a whopping $2000 to Bush in 04, from nickel and dime to maxing out

Betty Shultz
Prior to giving $2000 to bush in 04 she had only ever given a TOTAL of $700 since 1990 to campaigns.

so we have a bunch of small time donors suddenly finding a whole bunch of cash to drop at a fundraiser event, connected with Tom Noe to the Bush Cheney campaign.

In addition, you get other interesting connections, such as that Joseph Restivo is the brother of Bernadette Noe, Tom Noe's wife.