Waldholtz Pleads Guilty to Tax and Campaign Fraud

In an agreement requiring him to cooperate with prosecutors, Joseph Waldholtz, the ex-husband of Rep. Enid Greene (R-Utah), pleaded guilty Wednesday to providing his ex-wife with false information for her taxes and to falsifying spending reports from her congressional campaign.

Also on Wednesday, the couple was granted a divorce by a Salt Lake City judge.

Waldholtz, 33, had originally been charged with a 27-count bank fraud indictment related to a check-kiting scheme he allegedly ran through two bank accounts he shared with Greene.

He pleaded to one felony count of bank fraud as well as to three new charges, including that he provided Greene incorrect information that allowed her to avoid paying income tax on investment earnings in 1993. He also admitted making a false statement and filing a false report to the Federal Election Commission in connection with more than $1.8 million spent on her razor-thin victory in a 1994 House race.

As part of the plea, Waldholtz agreed to cooperate in ongoing investigations of his former wife’s campaign finances and the couple’s taxes, according to court papers.

While prosecutors said the tax charge against Waldholtz did not allege any wrongdoing by Greene, Assistant U.S. Atty. William E. Lawler said that issue is one of several that “we will continue to investigate.”

Charles Roistacher, Greene’s attorney, said he had been assured “as recently as yesterday” that his client was not a target of the ongoing investigation and has cooperated with prosecutors fully.