U.S. Sen. Stevens of Alaska faces criminal charges REUTERS Reuters North American News Service Jul 29, 2008 11:53 EST WASHINGTON(Reuters) - Sen. Ted Stevens from Alaska, the longest serving U.S. Republican senator ever, was indicted on seven counts related to his holding of public office, a federal law enforcement official said Tuesday. The U.S. Justice Department has scheduled a news conference for 1:20 p.m. to make an announcement "regarding a significant criminal matter." The official said the news conference would announce the criminal charges against Stevens that have been returned by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/07/us_sen_stevens_of_alaska_faces.php
Sen. Stevens Indicted: 7 False Statements Counts By LARA JAKES JORDAN The Associated Press Tuesday, July 29, 2008; 1:15 PM WASHINGTON -- Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican senator and a figure in Alaska politics since before statehood, has been indicted on seven counts of falsely reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in services he received from a company that helped renovate his home. Stevens, 84, has been dogged by a federal investigation into whether he pushed for fishing legislation that also benefited his son, an Alaska lobbyist. From May 1999 to August 2007, prosecutors said Stevens concealed "his continuing receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of things of value from a private corporation." The indictment released Tuesday said the items included: home improvements to his vacation home in Alaska, including a new first floor, garage, wraparound deck, plumbing, electrical wiring; as well as car exchanges, a Viking gas grill, furniture and tools. Justice Department officials were holding a news conference later Tuesday to discuss the charges. Messages left Tuesday at both Stevens' Senate office in Washington and his campaign office in Anchorage were not immediately returned. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/29/AR2008072901416_pf.html
Sen. Ted Stevens Indicted in Alaska Corruption Probe By Carrie Johnson Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, July 29, 2008; 1:56 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/29/AR2008072901416_pf.html Alaska Senator Ted F. Stevens (R) was charged with seven counts of making false statements on his financial disclosure forms in an indictment unsealed in federal court in the District this afternoon. The indictment accuses Stevens, former chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, of concealing payments of more than $250,000 in goods and services he allegedly received from an oil company. The items include home improvements, autos and household items. The Alaska oil firm, Veco, and its onetime leader Bill Allen, asked for help in return, which Stevens allegedly provided. Allen and a former Veco lobbyist pleaded guilty in May 2007 in connection with their role in the scheme, Justice Department officials said. The indictment charges Stevens with violating the Ethics in Government Act between 2001 and 2006 by hiding payments from Allen, Veco and two other people. The law requires elected officials to disclose gifts and debts that exceed $10,000 during any point in the year. Brendan Sullivan, a defense lawyer for Stevens, did not return a telephone call seeking comment. Stevens, a senator since 1968, "knowingly and willfully engaged in a scheme to conceal a material fact" according to the 28-page indictment. Items Stevens received include the creation of a new first floor, garage, and a wraparound deck on a Girdwood, Alaska property the lawmaker dubbed "the chalet," according to the court papers. He also received a professional Viking gas grill and a tool cabinet, prosecutors said. In return, Allen and his company sought funding and help with international projects in Pakistan and Russia, as well as federal grant and contract requests, according to the charges. Veco officials also sought assistance to construct a natural gas pipeline on Alaska's north slope Allen testified in court last year that his employees worked on an expansive reconstruction of Stevens' home. He said he personally oversaw the rebuilding of Stevens's house near Anchorage, visiting the home about once a month, and gave the senator furniture. "I gave Ted some old furniture," Allen testified. "I don't think there was a lot of material. There was some labor." Contractors previously told a federal grand jury that Veco executives supervised renovations at Stevens's house and that bills for the work went to Veco for Allen's approval. Allen had earlier pleaded guilty to bribing state lawmakers in Anchorage. Allen's testimony in federal court in Alaska came in the trial of a former state legislator whose case is part of a larger corruption investigation that has ensnared Stevens's son, Ben, a former state senator. Allen said that Ben Stevens accepted $4,000 a month in bribes, disguised as consulting fees, while he was in the state legislature. In a letter to a friend who is a former federal prosecutor, Stevens said he paid more than $130,000 for the renovations, according to the Seattle Times, which reported on the document. Stevens is among more than a dozen current and former members of Congress who have come under federal investigation in recent years because of their ties to lobbyists and corporate interests. Allen said that in 2000 he oversaw the rebuilding of Stevens's house, which involved lifting the existing A-frame structure up on stilts and building a new floor underneath, more than doubling the size and value of the structure.
We have a Ted Stevens thread and this has not been posted?!? <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/f99PcP0aFNE&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f99PcP0aFNE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> The Interwebs have lost a sage.
In Alaska? Doubtful. Will Rogers knew a lot about Alaska, and the Senate. "About all I can say for the United States Senate is that it opens with a prayer and closes with an investigation."
The Dem challenger was already leading in most polls there. This pretty much puts the nail in the coffin. There had been talk about Sarah Palin joining the Senate race to replace Stevens if he got indicted, but apparently she has a huge scandal of her own to deal with. It's unclear exactly what will happen on the GOP side right now, but the Dem would have to screw up pretty bad to lose now.
They should shoot him if guilty. They should also punish anyone who gave him money illegally. If you don't stop the source, you cannot stop the act.
July 18 poll had Begich over Stevens 47-45. (And had Young trailing Berkowitz 40-51.) You have a popular mayor of Anchorage going against either an indicted Stevens or a second-tier winner of the August primary. I'll take that.
Just because it deserves to be brought up: This man is on the science committee. I used to be ardently against term limits. I've changed my mind.
Well, the backpack kinda looks like this: Which is a popular interwebs picture to post when someone doesn't make any sense but it sounds funny.
