Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: FBI probes car-phone taping of GOP challenger in Texas Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 14:38:17 EST Message-ID: \SE A;NATION \HD FBI probes car-phone taping of GOP challenger in Texas \BY J. Jennings Moss and Jerry Seper \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Federal authorities in Texas are investigating the illegal taping of cellular phone calls that reportedly involved conversations of Donna Peterson, the Republican challenger to Democratic Rep. Charles Wilson. The FBI confiscated several audio tapes yesterday that television stations and newspapers in East Texas received Monday and Tuesday. The bureau warned journalists that listening and reporting the contents of the tapes was a felony. A senior aide to Miss Peterson yesterday accused Mr. Wilson of dirty tricks - a charge the 10-term lawmaker later denied. "This is just like Watergate. This is Wilson-gate is what it is," said consultant John Doner. U.S. Attorney Robert Worthen in Beaumont, Texas, confirmed the matter was under investigation, but declined to identify the contents or voices on the tapes. "We have two tapes of two East Texas residents that were illegally intercepted," Mr. Worthen said. "I can say the matter has been referred to the FBI and is currently under investigation." He said copies of the tapes, apparently of two separate conversations, have been widely distributed throughout East Texas. Published reports said the tapes were sent through the U.S. mail and carried a Washington postmark. One Texas newspaper, the Huntsville Item, reported yesterday that after listening to a tape, Miss Peterson identified her voice and the voices of two campaign officials. The newspaper said "no information considered incriminating was heard" on the tape but did not disclose its contents. Mr. Worthen said the tapes were an "illegal interception" of cellular telephone calls, but he declined to elaborate. Under Texas law, at least one party in a two-party conversation must be aware of any taping. In this case, he said, "neither party had given consent." "The only real issue we are looking at is how these tapes were obtained," he said, "not what they say or who's saying it." Mr. Worthen added, however, that the tapes were obtained through the use of "some very sophisticated equipment." KJAC-TV in Port Arthur reported last night the FBI confiscated Miss Peterson's two cellular telephones to test for "electronic fingerprints." The Peterson campaign yesterday accused the Wilson campaign of being behind the tapes. Mr. Doner, who said he had not heard the tape, said he had no proof to substantiate his charge that the incident was like "Watergate." Mr. Wilson, who could not be reached yesterday, said in an interview with the Beaumont Enterprise that he, too, had received a copy of the tape. "At first when I heard about it, I thought it might be a Republican trick," he told the newspaper. "It damn sure ain't a Wilson trick. I'll tell you that." A Peterson poll conducted last week showed the Republican ahead of the incumbent Mr. Wilson, 50 percent to 44 percent. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM