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C. Donald Robertson

Charles Donald Robertson (June 9, 1926-April 27, 1996) was West Virginia attorney general for eight years and candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor. He was born in Clarksburg. He received his undergraduate and law degrees at West Virginia University. He married Shirley Anne Stotler, and they had two children. He served as a member of the House of Delegates from Harrison County for four years (1956–60). Elected attorney general in 1960, he was reelected in 1964. In 1968, he ran for governor in the Democratic primary and lost to James Sprouse.

After leaving public office, Robertson was indicted along with his brother, Dana Robertson, and former state Federal Housing Administration Director James F. Haught in 1971 on federal charges of taking kickbacks on FHA low-income housing assistance. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy and one count of using interstate communication facilities to further a racketeering scheme. He was sentenced in December of 1972 to five years in federal prison and fined $15,000. Robertson was believed by many to be one of the individuals who assisted federal investigators in their probe of former Governor Barron and members of his administration, leading to criminal indictments of Barron and three other state officials on charges of bid-rigging of state contracts and taking kickbacks.

C. Donald Robertson died in Charleston.

Written by Tom D. Miller