Bubbaworld

After what seems like years of trying, the feds have lost the battle to put former Oklahoma Senator Gene Stipe in prison, well other than for brief stays for evaluation.

U.S. District Judge Ronald A. White declared the 82-year-old mentally incompetent last month and in an order issued earlier this week dismissed the petition to revoke his probation. This brings to an end the government’s attempts to bring Stipe before the bar of justice.

The feds were after Stipe for a lot of reasons including allegations of violating his probation by funneling excessive amounts of money into Democrat campaigns through straw donors and allegations of associating with another felon, Steve Covington.

This latest action on the part of the federal court brings to an end all of those allegations, leaving Stipe at home under house arrest until January 26th at which time Stipe will be free of all federal oversight.

Although Gene Stipe has beaten the feds there is still a battle brewing in McAlester where attorney Eddie Harper, acting in his capacity as the legal guardian of Gene Stipe’s property, has brought a lawsuit against Stipe’s longtime friend and business associate Steve Covington.

The lawsuit accuses Covington of mishandling of Stipe’s business affairs to enrich himself at Stipe’s expense, using funds or property belonging to Stipe to pay his personal living expenses, credit card expenses, vehicle expenses and a wide range of purchases of goods and services for his personal use.

The law suit in addition to damages seeks the return of property which may have been conveyed to Covington or any of the management companies listed as defendants in court documents.

If Stipe’s representatives prevail, taxpayers in the county could end up paying Stipe $14,633.34 a month to lease one of the buildings in the dispute. It’s the very building where the case could be decided – the temporary Pittsburgh County Courthouse.

There’s never a dull moment where Gene Stipe is involved…