Conyers rips Justice Department for 'delayed' Noe probe

Michigan congressman says investigation was stalled until after election

By MIKE WILKINSON
TOLEDO BLADE STAFF WRITER

A prominent Michigan congressman is criticizing the U.S. Justice Department’s handling of the Tom Noe investigation, saying it “delayed” its probe until after the re-election of President Bush.

U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D., Detroit), in a letter to Gregory A. White, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, criticized progress on the case that involved one of the President’s highest-profile fund-raisers in Ohio.

“In particular, I am concerned that your office delayed investigating this very serious matter until after the 2004 presidential election and as a result prejudiced the government’s ability to pursue justice in this case,” Mr. Conyers wrote.

In his letter, Mr. Conyers asked Mr. White to answer a number of questions, which boil down to: What did he know about Mr. Noe and when did he know it?

[snip]