Guilty Plea in Debate Tape Scandal

A U S T I N, Texas, June 14, 2001 -- A former aide to George W. Bush's media adviserpleaded guilty today to mail fraud and perjury, admitting shestole and mailed a Bush debate videotape to Al Gore's campaign andlied about it to a grand jury.

Juanita Yvette Lozano, 31, pleaded guilty to the charges in U.S.District court after reaching an agreement with prosecutors in May.

U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks told Lozano she faced a maximumof 10 years in prison, six years of supervised release and up to$500,000 in fines. She is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 17.

Lozano left the courtroom without talking to reporters.

In exchange for her plea, the government dropped one count ofher three-count indictment, the accusation that Lozano lied to theFBI during the investigation.

Tape Scandal Prelude to Infamous Election

Lozano worked for Maverick Media, formed by a top Bush mediaadviser, Mark McKinnon, to develop Bush's political ads.

In September, a Bush videotape, strategy book and other paperstaken from Maverick Media were sent to former U.S. Rep. Tom Downey,D-N.Y., who was advising Gore before the first presidential debatewith Bush.

Downey gave the materials to the FBI, and agents lateridentified Lozano as a suspect, based on surveillance videotapefrom an Austin post office.

Lozano, a Democratic county precinct chair, said she used herhome computer to look up Downey's address on the Internet beforesending him a package promising further help.

FBI agents found a record of that address search on her harddrive, and her subsequent denial of that to a grand jury was thebasis of the perjury charge.

The Gore campaign has steadfastly denied any role in themailing.