Former congressional candidate pleads guilty to misdemeanors

By Pete Bosak

A former congressional candidate charged in the waning days of the April primary campaign with two felonies and four misdemeanors in connection with an incident involving an ex-girlfriend, yesterday pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors.

Derek Walker, 32, of Clearfield, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct, invasion of privacy and harassment, and a summary count of defiant trespass. As part of the plea agreement, the other charges against him, which included felony counts of burglary and criminal trespass, were dropped.

The pleas were entered Tuesday before District Judge Michael Rudella, who sentenced Walker to one year of supervised probation, and ordered him to pay a $400 fine and have no contact with the victim or her family.

The charged were brought against Walker on April 17, just five days before the April 22 primary in which he was vying against eight other candidates to become the Republican nominee to the seat now held by U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-Peasantville. Peterson in January announced plans to retire at the end of the year.

According to courtpapers, Walker walked through an open door into the home of his ex-girlfriend on Aug. 25, 2007, and used his cell phone to videotape her being intimate with someone else. The criminal complaint also accused him of stalking, by having contact with her on two other occasions, despite a police officer's warning to stay away.

However, in the final days of his campaign, Walker aired commercials in which the woman — who was not identified — gave him her endorsement and decried the charges against him.