New developments in Noy case

Just before the Ohio Elections Commission took a lunch break, Nathan Noy informed me he wants to call me as a witness in his "false statements" complaint being argued today against U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt.

Noy said he intends to ask questions about a recent blog item in The Enquirer that gave an update from Schmidt's attorney, Joseph Braun, about the case and a Montana man's offer to sell his Columbus Marathon finish-line photo.

Braun said he plans to ask the seven-member commission to quash Noy's last-minute subpoena request.

Michael W. Deemer, legal counsel to the Ohio Senate Democrats, who was sitting in on a separate elections complaint, said, "It's crazy being the center of the storm. It's exciting."

The documentary filmmaker from Cleveland (reported about earlier) looked bored by the LONG Elections Commission proceedings. In fact, her Hollywood producer asked her to cut out by 2 p.m. for a Statehouse news conference. There, Columbus attorney Cliff Arnebeck said he planned to announce a federal order to preserve ballots from the 2004 election. Arnebeck and others filed a lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court claiming punch-card ballots and other election materials were tampered with.

Jennifer Black, who was waiting for her twin sister Jean's hearing to begin reacted, "Are they still crying over 2004? It's over. The fat lady has sung."