Baker in therapy while awaiting trial

Former state Sen. Gilbert Baker has begun an inpatient treatment program as part of his conditional release while he awaits trial on bribery and other charges.

Baker, a former chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party, began the 30-day counseling program at the Freedom House in Russellville on Jan. 30, according to a document filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Little Rock.

“He should complete the 30-day in-patient program on or around” Feb. 27, said the document, a motion prepared by his attorney, J. Blake Hendrix.

Hendrix asked the court to allow Baker to leave the center the afternoon of Feb. 22 and to return late the afternoon of Feb. 24 so Baker can attend wedding events of one of his sons in Conway — a motion granted by U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Harris later Wednesday.

Under the approved motion, Baker’s wife, Susan, is to pick him up at the center and return him.

Hendrix said he conferred with a prosecutor in the U.S. attorney’s office “and am authorized to state the government has no objection to this request if the pretrial services office approves.”

Harris said in a brief ruling all other conditions of Baker’s release remained in place. Those include that Baker, 62, of Conway not use alcohol and he submit to random drug and alcohol testing.

Baker, a former lobbyist and political fundraiser, pleaded not guilty in January to one count each of bribery and conspiracy and to seven counts of wire fraud. The charges resulted from an investigation of a purported scheme involving a nursing-home owner and a now-imprisoned former judge. Baker’s trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 28.

Michael Maggio, a former judge in the state’s 20th Judicial Circuit, is serving a 10-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to a federal bribery charge. Nursing-home owner Michael Morton of Fort Smith has not been charged with a crime and has denied wrongdoing.

Baker, who has tenure, has been teaching music at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway since he resigned his position as executive assistant to the president in April 2014 after reports were published about his involvement in the purported scheme. That same month, the UCA Foundation returned a $100,000 donation Morton had sent through Baker in July 2013.

In response to a request under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, UCA spokesman Amanda Hoelzeman said Wednesday Baker is on sick leave.

“His four courses of music appreciation have been assigned to another faculty member,” she said in an email.

Baker now makes $53,328 annually compared with the $132,000 he made as a UCA executive.

If convicted, Baker could face up to five years in prison on the conspiracy count, 10 years on the bribery count and 20 years on each of the seven wire-fraud counts. That would be in addition to any fines and periods of supervised release.