Stipe is accused of arranging illegal campaign contributions while on house arrest for the same offense.
Posted on 10/05/2007 10:56:12 AM PDT by LdSentinal
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Former state Sen. Gene Stipe and his brother, Francis Stipe, were indicted Friday by a federal grand jury in Muskogee on charges of mail fraud, witness tampering, conspiracy and money laundering. The McAlester businessmen were accused of taking part in a real estate scheme that cheated taxpayers. Part of the scheme, the indictment alleges, involved a $48,000 kickback to ex-state Rep. Mike Mass, who has pleaded guilty to mail fraud and is cooperating with the government.
Clark Brewster, Stipe's attorney, said the allegations stemmed from events in 2002 and are "entirely defensible."
"To me, it is just a further attempt to cash in on the name and identity of Senator Stipe for publicity rather than protection of the public," he said.
Sheldon Sperling, U.S. attorney, did not immediately return phone calls for comment.
The charges grew out of a real estate deal involving a pet food company. Steve Phipps, a former business partner Gene Stipe in the pet food project, was indicted earlier.
Gene Stipe, 80, is on probation until 2009 on a federal conviction linked to illegal contributions to the 1998 congressional campaign of former state Rep. Walt Roberts.
Stipe, who resigned in 2003 after 53 years in the Oklahoma Legislature, is fighting an attempt to revoke his probation and faces a hearing later this month.
According to the indictment, funds appropriated by the Legislature were steered through the McAlester Foundation to buy real estate owned by the former senator for the pet food company in McAlester.
The indictment said Francis Stipe signed a check for $191,609 that went to an abstract company. A portion of the money was used to buy property from Gene Stipe, the indictment alleges.
"The sale of the property would and did enable Eugene E. Stipe to recoup $50,000 provided to a failed congressional campaign," the indictment said.
The Stipes were accused of buying the mortgage on the home of Mass in an attempt to influence, delay or prevent his testimony in a federal investigation.
The indictment said the defendants committed mail fraud by causing three checks totaling $1.9 million to be sent from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture to the Kiamichi Economic Development Authority in Wilburton.
Wouldn't know it from the reportage.
Not one mention of the DemocRAT party. I wonder if true if the tables were turned? If so, we need to make sure yet another democrat-media collusion operation gets exposed and goes bankrupt. Hit ‘em hard!
Given that his party isn’t mentioned at all I’m going Democrat
Bull Moose or Whig, most likely.
Yes we do. It's the dog that didn't bark. If it were a Republican, the word "Republican" would have been in the headline.
ping
>>>The McAlester businessmen were accused of taking part in a real estate scheme that cheated taxpayers. <<<
Ah, Oklahoma. This could be the rebirth of the Anti-Nebraska Party of the 1860’s.
Well his Party affiliation wasn’t prominently mentioned in the first paragraph so therefore I know he’s a Democrat.
Some dolts dare to say there is no media bias. Or they make this loony assertion Fox News is a “Republican” channel. LOL. Anyway, it is obvious from the many reports I have observed on FR that Demos who get in trouble almost never get their party affiliation named in the first part of an article or broadcast news report. Republicans do. Someone should do an official scientific survey but from casual observation the trend is clear.
Stipe is accused of arranging illegal campaign contributions while on house arrest for the same offense.
“Republican” would be every other word.
GENE STIPE, Oklahoma State Senator: There’s always a temptation to jump on somebody on somebody that’s down.
KWAME HOLMAN: Sitting in the office of his successful law practice in McAllister, Oklahoma, Democrat Gene Stipe reflected on the rough and tumble world of politics, of which he’s uniquely qualified to do. Stipe, an Oklahoma state senator, has served 50 years in the legislature, longer than any other state legislator in America. Considered one of the last of the old political deal makers, Stipe is also as much a legend in Oklahoma as Carl Albert, himself. When we asked him about President Clinton’s trouble, Stipe blamed it on the tabloid-minded media.
GENE STIPE: It’s no different than it’s always been, except that the exploitation of the media of problems that used to be ignored because they were private, that no longer exists. No one has any privacy.
I’ll take Democrat scandals for $1,000 Alex.
My response is : “What is a Democrat.”
Becoming a Democratican certainly provides protective coloration when it comes to press coverage. Nothing like being able to fade into the woodwork when the bright lights are shined upon you. The party affiliation is rarely mentioned, and there are always “mitigating circumstances” when explaining the criminal charges that are brought up.
Only sometimes is the curtain stripped away completely, but even then, “equal justice” does not always apply.
No,I'm sorry, the correct answer is "what the media won't really cover"... and now, a word from our sponsors
In prison, will the other prisoners receive a Stipe end?
I would like to see Brent Bozell's outfit conduct a scientific study of all indicted officials, and whether their party affiliation is mentioned in msm coverage of the indictment.
I'm certain the results would be striking.
yep, Stipe is a Demo — a totally corrupt, sorry sob, should have been in prison at least 40 yrs ago. Carries a big stick in SE Oklahoma, keeps the welfare rolling to most of them
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