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Report:
Bush fundraisers got $1.2 billion in public funds
By The Associated Press
10/31/05 "AP"
-- -- TOLEDO, Ohio — Thirty Ohioans who raised a combined $4.1
million for President Bush's re-election campaign have received more
than $1.2 billion in public funds for their companies and clients, a
newspaper reported.
Since Bush took office in 2001, the federal government has given
those companies more than $447 million in subsidies, contracts and
other payments, according to records analyzed by The Blade. Ohio has
awarded them about $800 million in the last six years, the paper
reported Sunday.
Business leaders and lobbyists who raised money for Bush were called
"Pioneers" if they raised at least $100,000 and "Rangers" if they
raised $200,000; some also were given political appointments.
One of the fundraisers, coin dealer Tom Noe, was charged Thursday
with illegally funneling $45,400 in contributions to Bush's
re-election bid. Noe has denied wrongdoing in his fundraising and in
his handling of a state investment fund, which prompted an
investigation that led to Gov. Bob Taft's conviction on ethics
charges.
Noe's initial appearance in federal court in Toledo is set for
Monday.
Doug Corn, an insurance executive for Northwestern Mutual Life in
Cincinnati, raised at least $250,000 for Bush and said he has met
with the president 16 times in last two years.
Corn said he decided to raise money because of Bush's Christian
values, including his stance on abortion and gay marriage.
"I didn't want, nor did I expect, anything at all in return," Corn
said. He added that his reward was seeing John Roberts confirmed as
chief justice of the United States.
Both Bush and his opponent, Democratic nominee John Kerry, sought
out fundraisers who would in turn tap dozens of others to contribute
the $2,000 maximum allowed under federal law. The Bush campaign
raised $293 million overall to Kerry's $252 million.
"The Pioneers and Rangers are the networks of people — the friends
of the friends of the friends — who put money into these coffers.
They are given a tracking number so their donations can be given
credit and there is only one reason for that: if that is going to be
used as value later," said Alex Knott, spokesman for the Center for
Public Integrity, a nonpartisan watchdog group based in Washington.
One of the Bush Rangers, William R. Timken Jr., became the U.S.
ambassador to Germany this summer. Timken is the former chairman of
Canton-based Timken Co., a ball bearing manufacturer that has
received $259 million in government funds since 2001, according to
records.
The federal government gave Timken $109 million in 2003 because
several countries "dumped" large quantities of ball bearings on the
U.S. market for low prices. Timken said the dumping caused $63
billion in damages.
Timken spokesman Jeff Dafler told The Blade he would not comment on
the company's individual revenue sources.
Rangers lead two Ohio health care companies: Toledo-based HCR Manor
Care Inc. and Elyria-based Invacare.
HCR, for whom M. Keith Weikel serves as chief operating officer,
relied on Medicare and other government payments for two-thirds of
its $3.33 billion in revenue last fiscal year.
Invacare, whose chief executive is Malachi Mixon, and its
subsidiaries have gotten at least $3.1 million in federal contracts
since 2001. Invacare also has received at least $691,000 from Ohio
since 1999, mostly in development grants.
Bob Bennett, the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, said it's a
stretch to connect state contracts to campaign donations.
"Why is it wrong?" he said. "What makes it wrong? You assume that
these people are buying something, and they're not. They're buying
good government. They're buying a philosophy of government."
John Edwards, Kerry's running mate, said The Blade's analysis shows
a continuing pattern of fundraisers getting special access to the
Bush administration.
"A significant amount of that money was raised by people who had
particular interests. And it is obvious that some of them were
awarded for what they did. Unfortunately, it's the voter and the
taxpayer who suffers for that," the former U.S. senator from North
Carolina said.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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