Noe is expected to plead guilty in (Bush-Cheney) fund-raising case

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060531/NEWS02/60531025/-1/NEWS

Noe is expected to plead guilty in fund-raising case
Shorter sentence called likely

When Tom Noe walks into a federal courtroom today to change his not guilty plea on charges he illegally funneled thousands of dollars to the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign, his options will be severely limited.

Rarely do U.S. attorneys accept “no contest” pleas, court observers said, and a “not guilty by reason of insanity” plea is highly unlikely.

...

Federal prosecutors have alleged that Mr. Noe gave more than $45,000 to two dozen people to contribute to the Bush-Cheney campaign in October, 2003. For helping to raise more than $100,000 for the campaign, Mr. Noe was labeled a Bush “Pioneer.”

In October, after months of grand jury testimony, a federal grand jury indicted Mr. Noe for exceeding federal campaign limits, saying that he “knowingly and willfully” used others to make the contributions, and that he caused the Bush campaign to file a false campaign-finance statement.