Federal public defenders ask to help former state legislator Walt Roberts

<br>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Federal public defenders are trying to help a former Oklahoma legislator defend allegations surrounding his 1998 congressional campaign. <br><br>An affidavit was filed last month

Thursday, January 9th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Federal public defenders are trying to help a former Oklahoma legislator defend allegations surrounding his 1998 congressional campaign.

An affidavit was filed last month in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. on behalf of Walt Roberts. The affidavit was the first official confirmation of the investigation.

In a Dec. 12 letter accompanying the affidavit, Nancy Kimbrough of the public defender's office told U.S. Magistrate John M. Facciola that Roberts ``is being investigated for making false statements'' to the federal government, The Daily Oklahoman reported from its Washington bureau.

``(Assistant U.S. Attorney) Howard Sklamberg informed our office that Mr. Roberts would be coming to the District of Columbia to discuss his case and probably will eventually enter into a plea agreement,'' the letter states. ``Upon his arrival, Mr. Roberts will need legal representation.''

The magistrate approved the legal help request for Roberts, who declined comment on Wednesday.

Roberts, 40, ran for Congress as a Democrat from McAlester. A major part of his campaign money came from state Sen. Gene Stipe, D-McAlester, his relatives and associates, and from a series of large personal loans and contributions officially credited to Roberts.

The latter raised questions because Roberts was then a part-time auctioneer and musician who had no apparent financial means.

He told reporters he purchased and sold cattle with borrowed money to raise some of the funds and had auctioned artwork to raise some of the rest.

Members of the Oklahoma congressional delegation filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission in 1998 charging that Roberts funneled more than $200,000 in illegal contributions to his campaign.

Roberts was defeated in the election by Republican Wes Watkins, who retired from Congress last year.

In a note accompanying the affidavit, Roberts said he received a $3,500 monthly payment from Gene Stipe as a form of living assistance money.

``That stopped on the 1st of August of 2002, and I have been unemployed and have existed on what I had saved, which is nearly depleted now,'' Roberts stated.

The affidavit filed on Roberts' behalf indicates the case involves felony violations of Section 1001 of the U.S. criminal code. That section makes it illegal to make false statements or representations to the federal government. Violators can be fined or imprisoned up to five years.

Stipe has told reporters that he gave Roberts $67,500 to buy cattle. Roberts made a contribution of that same amount to his campaign.

Stipe said he didn't know the money would be put into the campaign and that he received the cattle later.

There has been speculation that Roberts is the subject of an investigation by a federal grand jury and the Federal Election Commission.