Corruption was a big issue on election night - and not just the national stories of Jack Abramoff, Duke Cunningham, and the like. Ohio has been wrapped up in the "Coingate" scandal since it broke last spring. Today the primary figure in the scandal,Tom Noe, a top Republican fundraiser, was convicted on 29 criminal counts related to his embezzlement scheme from a rare-coin investment fund he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.

The central figure in an Ohio campaign finance scandal that reached as high as the White House was sentenced yesterday to 27 months in prison. Tom Noe, a Republican fundraiser, was convicted on charges related to his use of friends to funnel personal money to George W. Bush's re-election campaign in an effort to court favor with the President.

Rep. Bob Ney has been the Ohioan getting the most press when it comes to scandal but another prominent Republican from the state, Tom Noe, pleaded guilty Wednesday to violating campaign finance laws and is charged with embezzlement in connection with the state's Coingate debacle.

The Toledo Blade has an in depth story on the man behind the Ohio Coingate controversy, Tom Noe. Noe, along with his wife, was a Bush pioneer, used his campaign cash to buy influence and, after submitting a request to the White House and Speaker  Hastert’s office, was granted a seat  and ultimately chairman of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. From here, he used his influence and position to get insider information that would benefit his rare coin business.