Post Commutation Comments

Jim Provance of the Blade called shortly after I heard the news that the Governor had commuted Tom Noe’s sentence. His first question was whether I was surprised that the Governor had overruled the Parole Board. I hadn’t known this, but my answer was no, I wasn’t surprised because Prosecutor Bates has spent years successfully using the media to spin the Board against Noe. She uses the media, I believe, to avoid the accountability that would come with official claims. Here are things she’s actively implied (see earlier posts for links on these topics).

1)      On at least two occasions when Noe’s case has come before the Parole Board, she’s implied that Noe has accounts in the Cayman Islands. There is no truth at all to this. The Cayman Islands allegation came before the trial and was anonymous and vague. It was investigated and found to have no substance. Federal prosecutors were involved and brought no charges. Mrs. Bates didn’t mention it at trial. She has talked repeatedly about it, but only to the media.

With as much credibility, I could make the allegation that Mrs. Bates and her staff took OBWC money and have kept it in Cayman Islands accounts. After all, they had access to all of Noe’s financials. I would, of course, have no evidence at all to support the allegation. Just as she has nothing to back up her implied claim. Nothing. At all.