SAVANNAH, Ga. - A federal indictment accuses former state Sen. Charles W. Walker Sr. and his daughter of conspiring to cheat newspaper advertisers and taking money intended for college scholarships for the underprivileged.
Besides personal benefit, the indictment alleges the driving force behind the charges was Mr. Walker's gambling debts.
According to the indictment, between 1996 and 2003, Mr. Walker lost about $530,000 at casinos in Atlantic City, N.J., Las Vegas and Biloxi, Miss.
Contained in the 66-page indictment are allegations Mr. Walker engaged in a pattern of deceit, covering up his personal ownership of businesses to sidestep mandatory financial disclosures, diving into his political donations for personal expenses and not disclosing that information. In addition, it alleges that he and Monique Walker misused the Augusta Focus to defraud advertisers and took money from the CSRA Classic.
The indictment alleges 142 felony offenses, including conspiracy, mail fraud and filing false tax returns.
Ms. Walker, a lawyer since 1996, works for her father's companies and the Augusta firm of Fletcher, Harley & Fletcher and University Hospital.
The charges center on Mr. Walker's businesses: the Walker Group Inc., Georgia Personnel Services Inc. and the Augusta Focus.
Mr. Walker's Georgia Personnel Services, a temporary workers company, contracted with University Hospital and Medical College of Georgia Hospital. After MCG Health was created by a legislative act championed by Mr. Walker, then a senator, his company's business with MCG Hospital more than tripled.
The indictment accuses Mr. Walker of lying to hospital officers about his true ownership and executive positions for the company. This, the indictment continues, also enabled Mr. Walker to circumvent the state conflict of interest laws.
The allegations led to a State Ethics Commission $8,500 fine against Mr. Walker for failing to reveal his business dealings with MCG Health and Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital in his financial disclosure reports to the state.
In amended reports, Mr. Walker reported Georgia Personnel Services received nearly $1.5 million from Grady and almost $130,000 from MCG in the previous four years, according to Augusta Chronicle reports.
He was the driving force for the CSRA Classic Inc. Since 1993, the annual event highlighting by a college football game has brought thousands of people to Augusta and generated funds for college scholarships.
The Augusta Focus is another of Mr. Walker's businesses. It has been registered with the state since November 1983. According to Secretary of State records, Mr. Walker is the chief executive officer, chief financial officer and secretary of the publishing company.
The indictment alleges Mr. Walker and his daughter conspired to commit mail fraud in misleading advertisers about the extent of the weekly newspaper's circulation.
Throughout much of Mr. Walker's political career, he has fended off investigations by state and federal agents and ethical complaints. A top fund-raiser in state politics, Mr. Walker was courted by the Democratic candidates.
By 1999, Mr. Walker had risen to Senate majority leader, the first black to hold such a key position in state politics. He talked with reporters with The Augusta Chronicle about his dream of running for governor in 2006.
Mr. Walker's 17-year career in state politics was derailed in the most recent election when newcomer Randy Hall edged by Mr. Walker by fewer than 300 votes to take the District 22 Senate seat.
Four years later, Mr. Walker is back in the political race. On July 20, he faces Ed Tarver in the Democratic primary. The winner will square off with Don Cheeks, the incumbent who switched to the Republican Party in 2000 and who faces a different set of voters because of redistricting.
Previous Stories
• Walker must appeal from cell
• Walker receives 10-year sentence
• 'McIntyre bill' now applies to Walker
• What they're saying about the Walker verdict - 06/06/05
• Walker verdict changes politics
• What they're saying about the Walker verdict - 06/05/05
• Jury convicts on 127 of 137 counts
Federal Indictment Documents
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• Full 66-page indictment *Caution: Large document* (pdf)
• Part 1: General Allegations (pdf)
• Penalty Certificate (pdf)
• Scheme to Defraud Advertisers in the Augusta Focus (pdf)
• Scheme to Defraud Involving Grady Memorial Hospital (pdf)
• Scheme to Defraud Involving the Medical College of Georgia (pdf)
• Scheme to Defraud Involving His Political Campaign Account
• Charles & Monique Walker's Scheme to Defraud the C.S.R.A. Classic (pdf)
• The Tax Counts (pdf)
