Article published June 04, 2005
CAMPAIGN FUNDS
Relative of Noe tied to Bush campaign donations; In-law's colleagues talk to grand jury
By MIKE WILKINSON and JAMES DREW
BLADE STAFF WRITERS
Tom Noe's brother-in-law has been linked to campaign contributions made to the Bush-Cheney campaign, The Blade has learned.
Two of Joe Restivo's fellow executives at a Bedford Township company appeared before the federal grand jury Thursday. At the time, they left the courthouse without identifying themselves.
But yesterday, The Blade confirmed who they were: Bart Kulish and Phil Swy.
Mr. Kulish, vice president of operations at MTS Seating, said he only knew about a controversial Bush fund-raiser in October, 2003, because of Mr. Restivo, who is the chief financial officer of the company. Mr. Restivo is the brother of Mr. Noe's wife, Bernadette.
Both Mr. Kulish and Mr. Restivo attended the fund-raiser and contributed $2,000 each to the Bush-Cheney campaign.
Phil Swy, president of MTS Seating, contributed $1,000, as did his wife, Denise, federal campaign records show.
Mr. Kulish and Mr. Swy met with the grand jury on Thursday afternoon. After they testified, their attorney, Jeff Zilba, declined to identify them. Mr. Kulish said yesterday he and Mr. Swy were given immunity by federal authorities before their testimony.
Mr. Kulish also said he is worried about the impact the case will have on Mr. Restivo.
"I'm concerned for Joe," Mr. Kulish said.
The Blade asked for help in identifying these businessmen. They are Bart Kulish, left, and Phil
Swy, center, of MTS Seating in Bedford Township. Attorney Jeff Zilba is on the right.
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Mr. Restivo previously was director of finance for Blade Communications Inc., now Block Communications Inc., the parent company of The Blade. He did not return calls for comment yesterday.Because the proceedings of the grand jury are secret, Mr. Kulish, who lives in Perrysburg, declined to say what he said during his testimony. He talked briefly with The Blade outside the company's plant off Sterns Road.
Another executive from MTS Seating, founder Paul Swy, also contributed $2,000 to the Bush campaign. Mr. Kulish, however, said the elder Mr. Swy's contribution had nothing to do with Mr. Restivo.
The U.S. attorney's office is investigating whether Mr. Noe broke federal campaign laws by giving money to others in order for them to contribute to the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.
A number of current and former politicians appeared before the grand jury this week, including City Council member Betty Shultz, Lucas County Commissioner Maggie Thurber, former mayor Donna Owens, and former state representative Sally Perz.
All are Republicans.
Others who testified: H. Douglas Talbott, a Columbus lobbyist and former aide to governors Bob Taft and George Voinovich; Joe Kidd, former director of the Lucas County elections board; Susan Metzger, former employee of Mr. Noe's Vintage Coins and Collectibles who ran the Bush-Cheney campaign in Lucas County in 2004; Mike Boyle, local businessman; Allison Perz, Ms. Perz's daughter; and Sam Thurber, Ms. Thurber's husband.
The witnesses each gave the Bush campaign $2,000 except for the Thurbers; they contributed $1,950 each.
The grand jury is expected to hear more evidence in early July.
Grand juries are convened to determine if there is enough evidence to indict an individual and can be used to gather information. In addition to the prosecutors, who control the sessions, the jurors themselves can ask questions and request information.
Investigators are reviewing the contributions to the Bush-Cheney campaign to determine whether Mr. Noe was the source of them.
Many of the contributions occurred at or around an Oct. 30, 2003, fund-raiser in Columbus that raised $1.4 million for the President's re-election campaign.
Federal campaign laws limit individuals to contributing $2,000 per candidate in each election. It is a violation of federal law to pass campaign contributions through another person to skirt individual contribution limits.
Besides the federal probe, Mr. Noe is the subject of multiple civil and criminal state investigations into the failed $50 million rare-coin fund he convinced officials at the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation to invest in.
His lawyers have told prosecutors that up to $12 million is missing from the fund.
After prodding from Ohio and national Democrats, Republicans from President Bush down to state representatives have agreed to give to charities and other organizations the campaign contributions Mr. Noe and his wife have made to them.
Contact Mike Wilkinson at:
mwilkinson@theblade.com
or 419-724-6104.
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