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 WASHINGTON (AP) - The federal case against one of President Bush's boosters in Ohio is a signal to political campaigns that they will suffer more grief than usual if their biggest fundraisers run afoul of campaign finance laws.
Criminal provisions of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, also known as "McCain-Feingold," were invoked in the Oct. 27 arrest of coin dealer Tom Noe, a leading GOP fundraiser in the Toledo area. The Justice Department says it's the largest case of its kind under the law.
Noe pleaded innocent Oct. 31 in federal court in Toledo to charges that he illegally funneled $45,400 to the Bush re-election campaign. He had pledged to raise $50,000 for the campaign at an event in Columbus on Oct. 30, 2003, but, according to the indictment, paid friends to contribute money when the event fell short of the goal.
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