'The Blade' Takes Scalpel to GOP Funding in 2004 Campaign

By Joe Strupp

Published: October 31, 2005 1:00 PM ET
NEW YORK The Blade of Toledo is at it again.

On Sunday, just six months after blowing the lid off a major coin investment scandal that rocked Ohio's Republican Party, the Blade launched a four-part series looking into statewide GOP fundraising practices.

Whereas its "Coingate" reporting focused largely on fundraiser Tom Noe, who was indicted last Thursday for allegations of illegally funneling money to Bush's 2004 re-election effort, the latest investigation is far broader in scope. What the paper uncovered is evidence that the Republican Party's fundraising efforts reward big-money donors with influence, state contracts, and appointments, a practice that goes back some 20 years.