Gene Stipe
Encyclopedia
Eugene E. "Gene" Stipe is a former American
politician from Oklahoma
. He is a member of the Democratic Party
.
, and is the son of Jacob Irvin Stipe, a farmer worker and miner, and Eva Lou Stipe. Following a stint in the United States Navy
in the mid-1940s, he was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives
at the age of 21 in 1948, serving as Assistant Floor Leader from 1949 to 1953. Shortly after taking office, he married Agnes L. Minton (1920-September 29, 2002), and eventually had one daughter and three grandchildren. That same year, he graduated from law school at the University of Oklahoma
.
seat representing McAlester, Oklahoma
. Two years later, he was elected to the State Senate in a special election, serving from 1957 until his resignation in 2003, becoming the longest-serving member of that body.
Stipe was briefly a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Dewey F. Bartlett
in 1978, but dropped out of the race, which was later won by Governor David L. Boren
. The following year, he was indicted by a federal grand jury for his alleged role in securing a fraudulent Small Business Administration
loan for McAlester Frozen Foods, a food processing company based in Stipe's district. He was acquitted on those charges in 1981. While awaiting trial in the SBA loan case, he was indicted by another federal jury on charges of fraud, extortion, and conspiracy relating to his intervention in an extradition case involving a Colorado man.
investigation, and conspiracy to violate the Federal Election Campaign Act
, relating to his alleged role in funneling illegal contributions to the failed 1998 congressional campaign of Walt Roberts in Oklahoma's 3rd Congressional District.
The following January, he was sentenced to five years probation, six months home detention, 1,000 hours of community service, and fined $735,567. Furthermore, he also agreed to forfeit his license to practice law.
, diabetes and prostate cancer
, to undergo a mental competency evaluation at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners
in Springfield, Missouri
, following a parole revocation hearing in which Stipe required prompting from his attorneys to answer questions, and according to the judge, appeared to be drugged or hypnotized.
Shortly thereafter, Stipe and his brother, Francis, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of mail fraud, witness tampering, money laundering and conspiracy, relating to their alleged role in a real estate deal involving a pet food company owned by Gene Stipe's former business partner, Steve Phipps. The witness tampering charge stems from allegations that the Stipe brothers engaged in a conspiracy to buy the mortgage on a home owned by former Oklahoma State Representative Mike Mass in an attempt to influence his testimony in the case.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician from Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Early life
Gene Stipe was born in Blanco, OklahomaBlanco, Oklahoma
Blanco is a rural unincorporated community located on State Highway 63 in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. The post office opened August 31, 1901. The ZIP code is 74528. The community was named for Ramón Blanco y Erenas, one-time governor general of Cuba. Gene Stipe, the longest-serving...
, and is the son of Jacob Irvin Stipe, a farmer worker and miner, and Eva Lou Stipe. Following a stint in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in the mid-1940s, he was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives
Oklahoma House of Representatives
The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members are responsible for introducing and voting on bills and resolutions, providing legislative oversight for state agencies, and helping to craft the...
at the age of 21 in 1948, serving as Assistant Floor Leader from 1949 to 1953. Shortly after taking office, he married Agnes L. Minton (1920-September 29, 2002), and eventually had one daughter and three grandchildren. That same year, he graduated from law school at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
.
State Senate election
Stipe did not seek re-election to the State House in 1954, but was an unsuccessful candidate for a State SenateOklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
seat representing McAlester, Oklahoma
McAlester, Oklahoma
McAlester is a city in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 17,783 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pittsburg County. It is currently the largest city in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, followed by Durant....
. Two years later, he was elected to the State Senate in a special election, serving from 1957 until his resignation in 2003, becoming the longest-serving member of that body.
Earlier legal problems
In 1968, Stipe was indicted on charges of federal income tax evasion for allegedly failing to pay taxes on $110,000 in income, but was later acquitted of the charges. In 1975, he was paid $100,000 plus expenses to assist William Con Sutherland in a bankruptcy case involving Sutherland's vending machine empire. Stipe was accused by bankruptcy trustees of taking his retainer fee from illegally-diverted funds. In an out-of-court settlement, Stipe repaid $60,000 in order to resolve the dispute.Stipe was briefly a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Dewey F. Bartlett
Dewey F. Bartlett
Dewey Follett Bartlett, Sr. , a U.S. politician, served as the 19th Governor of Oklahoma from 1967 to 1971, following his same-party Republican predecessor, Henry Bellmon. State law at that time did not allow consecutive terms for governor. In 1966, he was elected governor after defeating the...
in 1978, but dropped out of the race, which was later won by Governor David L. Boren
David L. Boren
David Lyle Boren is an academic leader and American politician from the state of Oklahoma. A Democrat, he served as the 21st Governor of Oklahoma from 1975 to 1979 and in the United States Senate from 1979 to 1994. He is currently president of the University of Oklahoma. He was the longest serving...
. The following year, he was indicted by a federal grand jury for his alleged role in securing a fraudulent Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...
loan for McAlester Frozen Foods, a food processing company based in Stipe's district. He was acquitted on those charges in 1981. While awaiting trial in the SBA loan case, he was indicted by another federal jury on charges of fraud, extortion, and conspiracy relating to his intervention in an extradition case involving a Colorado man.
Resignation and guilty plea
Stipe resigned from the Oklahoma State Senate in March 2003, having served in the state legislature for 46 years. A month later, he pleaded guilty to federal charges of perjury, conspiracy to obstruct a Federal Election CommissionFederal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
investigation, and conspiracy to violate the Federal Election Campaign Act
Federal Election Campaign Act
The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 is a United States federal law which increased disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns. It was amended in 1974 to place legal limits on the campaign contributions...
, relating to his alleged role in funneling illegal contributions to the failed 1998 congressional campaign of Walt Roberts in Oklahoma's 3rd Congressional District.
The following January, he was sentenced to five years probation, six months home detention, 1,000 hours of community service, and fined $735,567. Furthermore, he also agreed to forfeit his license to practice law.
Possible probation revocation
In September 2007, federal authorities filed a petition seeking to have Stipe's probation revoked as a result of his alleged ongoing relationship with a convicted felon. On September 28, a federal judge ordered Stipe, who suffers from hydrocephalusHydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus , also known as "water in the brain," is a medical condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles, or cavities, of the brain. This may cause increased intracranial pressure inside the skull and progressive enlargement of the head,...
, diabetes and prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
, to undergo a mental competency evaluation at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners
Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, Springfield
The United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners is a hospital for male federal prison inmates in southwestern Springfield, Missouri at the corner of West Sunshine Street and Kansas Expressway...
in Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
, following a parole revocation hearing in which Stipe required prompting from his attorneys to answer questions, and according to the judge, appeared to be drugged or hypnotized.
Shortly thereafter, Stipe and his brother, Francis, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of mail fraud, witness tampering, money laundering and conspiracy, relating to their alleged role in a real estate deal involving a pet food company owned by Gene Stipe's former business partner, Steve Phipps. The witness tampering charge stems from allegations that the Stipe brothers engaged in a conspiracy to buy the mortgage on a home owned by former Oklahoma State Representative Mike Mass in an attempt to influence his testimony in the case.