OHIO Demands made to release coin records

The Dispatch joins those looking for coin investment records.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- A newspaper has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to order the state Bureau of Workers' Compensation to release records about its investment in rare coins, the third such claim for justices to examine.
The Columbus Dispatch on Wednesday requested details about the coins and past inventories.
The Blade of Toledo and state Sen. Marc Dann of Liberty, D-32nd, have filed similar complaints with the Supreme Court over the Bureau's $50 million investment since 1998 with a coin dealer who also is a prominent Republican donor.
The Bureau and suburban Toledo coin dealer Tom Noe have rejected requests for details, arguing the information is a trade secret and releasing it could hurt the coins' value.
The state will release information only with the specific coins blacked out.
Five of seven Ohio Supreme Court justices said Wednesday they were removing themselves from hearing the requests. Noe had contributed to their campaigns.
Campaign contributions
Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell has been looking into Noe's campaign contributions going back to 1990, said Blackwell spokesman Carlo LoParo.
The review was in response to reports that the U.S. Attorney's office in Cleveland was investigating whether Noe bypassed donation limits by giving friends money that they contributed to President Bush's re-election campaign.
The Bureau of Workers' Compensation has made $15.3 million in the coin investment while Noe has collected about $3.8 million. But, 121 coins worth an estimated $400,000 dollars are missing.
Some Ohio Democrats have suggested Noe got the state's investment business in return for campaign donations, a claim denied by Republicans and Workers' Comp officials. The state's government watchdog is investigating.
Amid the growing scrutiny, the state has said it will end the investment.