FBI Probes Alleged Taping of Wilder Calls : Politics: Sen. Robb pledges to cooperate with authorities. He says he did nothing wrong in ordering destruction of recording sent to him anonymously.

The FBI and Virginia State Police said Wednesday that they are investigating allegations that Gov. L. Douglas Wilder’s phone calls were illegally recorded.

The federal-state investigation moves a political feud between Wilder and Sen. Charles S. Robb--the state’s top Democrats and two men considered potential presidential candidates--into the law enforcement arena.

Robb said at a news conference that he had done nothing wrong in ordering the destruction of a tape of a call apparently intercepted from Wilder’s car phone--a tape the senator said had come to his office anonymously.

One day earlier, Robb said he was suspending three top advisers while he investigates his office’s conduct in the controversy. The senator, long at odds with Wilder, had held the tape for 2 1/2 years before it was destroyed.

“I never claimed to be a rocket scientist or a visionary,” Robb said after acknowledging in hindsight he might have handled the tape episode differently. But he said his reputation for honesty and integrity will emerge intact.

On Wednesday, Robb pledged his cooperation with any investigation. The senator said he recently was told that someone on his staff--he would not say who--obtained a legal opinion that it was not illegal to possess the recording.

Robb said he soon will enlist outside help for an internal investigation and said a primary goal will be to determine if anyone on his staff violated his order not to make public the contents of the recording.

He refused to say who destroyed the tape or answer several other specific questions about his staff’s conduct, citing “possible legal ramifications.”

The recording was of an October, 1988, conversation in which Wilder, then lieutenant governor, said Robb had been ruined by news reports that when governor he had attended parties at which cocaine was used. At the time of the conversation, Robb was running for the Senate.

Robb has denied any knowledge of drug use at parties he attended.

He said he hoped to meet or talk with Wilder soon in hopes of ending their feud.

Wilder had little to say on his return from a 12-day European trade mission.

“Let’s get the facts,” the governor told reporters at Dulles International Airport.

Wilder refused to answer when asked how the controversy might affect his presidential ambitions and said he had no plans to call Robb but would meet with the senator if Robb requested it.