Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Dispatch confirms larger Taft problem
Back in late June when Taft first lawyered up as he disclosed his ethics lapses, the implication was that there were just a few golf outtings and other gifts that went unreported.
The amount of unreported outtings and gifts, however, that we heard was on the list was much, much larger. Back on June 21, we said:
But, today, the Dispatch ran a story (that was oddly buried) by Alan Johnson that confirms our information:
The amount of unreported outtings and gifts, however, that we heard was on the list was much, much larger. Back on June 21, we said:
Today, Gov. Bob Taft had a revelation. Shucks! Darn! He forgot to jot down about 4 or 5 golf outings on his annual financial disclosure statement. Well, maybe not 4 or 5 . . . maybe it was 40 or 50. Who knows cause ya' know, it's so hard to keep track of those kinds of things when get into that ol' golf game banter about money and coins and appointments and unbid contracts and fundraising.We were alone in reporting this higher number, and took some heat for possibly exaggerating Taft's transgressions "before all the fact have come out."
But, today, the Dispatch ran a story (that was oddly buried) by Alan Johnson that confirms our information:
Gov. Bob Taft has filed documents with the Ohio Ethics Commission listing 50 to 60 golf outings and other events he previously failed to disclose, sources told The Dispatch.That last part about Meeks not returning calls does not bode well for Taft's defense. If someone as experienced as Meeks is laying low rather than trying to counter-spin this stuff, that legal team must be very nervous.
[. . .]
Taft’s staff members, after telling The Dispatch they had no public records on the matter, referred questions to William Meeks. The Columbus criminal attorney was hired by the governor to handle what Taft referred to as "errors and omissions" on his annual financial-disclosure statements covering a number of years.
Meeks has not returned calls for the past several days.
