Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 18, 1993 TAG: 9303180120
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: THOMAS HUANG LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium
WILDER TAPE FIGURE GETS PROBATION
A Virginia Beach hotelier and one-time buddy of Sen. Charles Robb on Wednesday was given a year's probation, fined $7,500 and put on a nightly curfew in connection with the illegal taping of Gov. Douglas Wilder.Bruce Thompson, the final Robb associate to come to court, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of witness-tampering and disclosing cellular-telephone communications. Thompson delivered the Wilder tape to Robb's aides in February 1989.
On the illegal tape, Wilder predicted Robb's political career was "finished" because of news reports linking Robb to drugs and sex at Virginia Beach parties while he was governor in the early 1980s. Some of the parties occurred at Thompson's house.
As part of his sentence, Thompson must remain at home from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for six months.
After the sentencing, Thompson, 41, maintained his support for Robb, who has not been indicted. Thompson revealed that he had refused to cooperate with federal investigators who sought to "use" him as an informant to get more evidence on Robb and his chief aide, David McCloud.
Thompson portrayed the senator, with whom he no longer socializes, as a "victim of everything that is wrong with American politics today," suggesting Robb was a Democratic target pursued by a Republican administration.
Thompson sought to cast Wilder in an unfavorable light, suggesting Wilder turned the news media's revelation of the tape to his political advantage. Thompson said, in fact, that Wilder's closest advisers knew about the tape in 1988, but may have kept quiet until the "right opportunity" arose.
Wilder declined comment. But Paul Goldman, perhaps his closest political adviser, said suggestions that Wilder knew about the tape before it became public were "a vicious and false smear."
Wilder's office said the governor may issue a statement or hold a news conference today. Wilder already has suggested that Robb escaped indictment in the tape case thanks to favorable treatment from top officials of the Justice Department. He also has hinted he'll run against Robb in 1994.
Robb, who has accused prosecutors of unfairly pursuing him and using the Thompson indictment to smear him, said only that "this has been a long and difficult time for everyone involved. Now that the final chapter is closed, it's time to move on."
A federal grand jury indicted Thompson Jan. 14 on charges of conspiracy and witness-tampering. Federal prosecutors Wednesday dropped the conspiracy charge as part of a plea agreement.
In April 1991, three former Robb aides leaked the tape to The Washington Post as a jab at Wilder. The three aides and Virginia Beach restaurateur Robert Dunnington, who taped the cellular-phone conversation, all pleaded guilty to minor charges.
In June 1991, as a federal and state investigation began, Thompson met with Dunnington and his brother, Richard. Thompson, prosecutors contend, tried to direct what the brothers should say in response to investigators' questions.
The Dunnington brothers had agreed to cooperate with federal investigators. Wired for sound, they recorded Thompson's efforts as investigators listened in.
Robb has said he ordered aides not to leak the tape.