Oklahoma congressional candidate pleads guilty in campaign finance case

Wednesday, March 5th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Former state Rep. Walt Roberts pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges stemming from his unsuccessful 1998 congressional race. His punishment will depend on how much help he gives federal investigators still looking at the campaign's fund raising.

Roberts, the Democratic nominee against then-GOP Rep. Wes Watkins, pleaded guilty to one felony and one misdemeanor involving $175,000 in illegal campaign contributions. While Roberts indicated on his campaign finance disclosure forms that he used his own money, the government charged that the funds actually came from an unnamed political mentor.

Not only did the contributions exceed federal limits, but Roberts then lied about the source of the money to the Federal Election Commission, the government charged.

``You certainly knew you were violating federal campaign election laws?'' U.S. Circuit Judge James Robertson asked.

``I did, your honor,'' Roberts said.

Robertson scheduled sentencing for July 15. Under federal guidelines, Roberts could face anywhere from six months home detention to a year in prison, but his sentence will depend on his cooperation with federal prosecutors investigating contributions to his 1998 campaign. In the deal that led to the guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to recommend a lighter sentence if Roberts cooperated with the probe.

Roberts reported raising $839,709 in his losing effort, FEC records show. The donations included $182,850 from Roberts, which raised questions because he was a part-time auctioneer and musician who apparently did not have that amount of money to spend.

Reading the allegations in court, government lawyer Howard Sklamberg said Roberts received $20,500 from a trailer sale that never took place; $17,000 for consulting work he never performed; $67,500 for a cattle transaction that never occurred; and $70,000 for options on Roberts' art that was a ruse to raise money for advertising. All of the money went into Roberts' campaign bank account.

State Sen. Gene Stipe, D-McAlester, a major backer of the congressional campaign, has said he gave Roberts the $67,500 to buy cattle for him. Stipe has said he didn't know the money would be put into the campaign and that he received the cattle later.

The government said all the money in question came from the same person, who was unidentified in court.