Senator Stevens Knew He Was Guilty

Not all the news on corruption out of Alaska is about Sarah Palin. She may be the one running for VP, but Senator Stevens is campaigning for his re-election to the Senate and his little criminal trial is starting to get in the way. Instead of being able to hold rallies and fundraisers in Alaska, he is stuck in Washington so that a jury can decide whether he is guilty or innocent. Too bad for Stevens, he already knew he was guilty, though when he said it he was unaware that he was being recorded.

From Yahoo News:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens told an oil-executive friend, in recordings played on Monday at the Alaska Republican's corruption trial, they both risked going to jail -- but he didn't think it would come to that.

"These guys can't hurt really us. They're not going to shoot us. It's not Iraq. What the hell?," Stevens told Bill Allen, founder of the former VECO Corp. oil-services firm based in Alaska.

Stevens is charged with lying on Senate disclosure forms from 2001 to 2006 to conceal more than $250,000 in renovations to his property and other gifts provided by VECO.

"The worst that can happen to us is we run up a bunch of legal fees, and might lose and we might have to pay a fine, might have to serve a little time in jail. I hope to Christ it never gets to that, and I don't think it will," Stevens said.

However, he said, "We've got a fight out there ahead of us, and we're going to win, because we didn't do anything wrong. You've got a right to spend all the money you've got to support the party you believe in."

If Stevens thought he wasn't doing anything wrong, then he wouldn't have lied and concealed all the gifts he received. Sorry Senator, I'm afraid logic has its way of blocking your path to innocence. The recording clearly shows that Ted knew that what he was doing was illegal and gambled on the outcome of being bribed. For him, giving attention to rich oil companies was more important than representing Alaskans. Stevens figured that by throwing as much pork as he could their way that they'd be happy, but clearly Ted never gave his constituents much credit.

Thankfully for them, they can put their trust in a man who will put Alaska first, Senate candidate and Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich.

Sen. Stevens Trial Starts Today

Its been fifteen years since Kay Bailey Hutchinson was indicted for abuses of power and now a comrade in the Senate GOP caucus is about to stand trial as she did back then. To be fair to Hutchinson, the decisions of the Grand Jury didn't speak to her budding Senate career, simply as a local politician. Stevens on the other hand has been a Senator almost as long as Alaska has been in the Union and he knows very well what he's been up to with his cronies. Now his trial will start tomorrow regarding those lobbyist relationships and specifically how he hid gifts from VECO.

From The Washington Post:

The first sitting senator to face a federal trial in more than two decades, Stevens, an 84-year-old Republican icon of both the Senate and his home state, was indicted eight weeks ago on charges that he failed to disclose lavish gifts he received from executives of an oil services company. If convicted, Stevens could face prison time, his 40-year Senate career would meet an ignominious end, and Republicans would probably lose a normally reliable Senate seat.

While battling prosecutors in what is expected to be a month-long trial, Stevens also will be running an uphill reelection campaign from the same Washington courthouse -- 3,500 miles from Anchorage. He may have to debate his Democratic opponent well after midnight by teleconference and make arduous red-eye flights to attend weekend campaign events.

It's a risky strategy but perhaps the only one that could result in his reelection, analysts say.

"We have an Alaska Senate race that's about to be decided by 12 residents of the District of Columbia," said Jennifer Duffy, a senior editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. "If he's acquitted, he goes home, and it becomes more of a victory lap than a campaign."

Twelve D.C. residents sure sounds like a nice metaphor for the United States' system of justice and the possible outcome for Stevens. Ultimately it is how they judge his actions and decide whether or not it is time to hold criminals like him accountable for screwing with our democracy. With six weeks to go in this race Stevens is seriously handicapped while Mark Begich campaigns around the state. He needs to get his name out and meet people, so that he can convince them that representing Alaska is not all about bringing home an obscene amount of pork while slicing yourself a nice piece of the national taxpayers' money.

Senator Stevens Thinks He's Above The Law

It seems that a common trait for Republican elected officials these days is an allowance to be free from the rules and regulations of our country. George Bush got Congress to pass a law making one of his illegal maneuvers legal. So perhaps Ted Stevens thinks he can get around the legal system as well.

Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska was caught receiving gifts in the six figure range from campaign contributors like VECO who were the beneficiaries of Stevens' earmarks. Then Stevens lied about the gifts, netting him seven charges of falsifying records, each worth five years in prison. So when the law comes looking for Stevens, he tries to jump up over it.

From RetireTed:

Anchorage, Alaska – Last week, lawyers for Senator Ted Stevens filed several motions asserting that Senators are above the law and deserve special treatment. Specifically, the defense explained that since the Department of Justice is part of the executive branch, they cannot investigate Stevens or interview his staff since they are part of the legislative branch. Stevens’ attorneys went as far to say that only Congress can discipline a Senator who violates the law by lying on the financial disclosure forms. However, Stevens voted for the legislation which established the financial disclosure forms. In essence, Stevens’ defense is that legislation he supported is now unconstitutional, and therefore the case should be dismissed.

“Senator Stevens’ actions speak louder than words,” said Bethany Lesser, spokeswoman for the Alaska Democratic Party. “Senator Stevens voted for the bill that created financial disclosure reports, but now his defense says it doesn’t matter if a Senator lies on the forms because a Senator can’t be investigated. Senator Stevens’ lawyers are saying there are no consequences for breaking the very same ethics rules that Stevens voted in support of. Senator Stevens is not above the law.”

-----

In 1989, Congress amended the Ethics In Government Act of 1978 to require members of Congress to file financial disclosure reports including income and honoraria exceeding $200. The bill gave the Attorney General the authority to take action against anyone who falsifies the financial disclosure report. Stevens joined the rest of the Senate in a voice vote in favor of the legislation.

The Department of Justice cannot investigate criminal behavior? Oh, that's rich. Well, they don't really do such a good job of it at the moment, but the whole "Justice" in the Department of Justice should kinda speak for itself. This time around, I don't see Senator Stevens with too many friends in Washington...and with his anemic poll numbers versus Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, he won't have anyone to help him get out of trouble.

Stevens Jr. Is Screwed

The apple that did not fall far from the Stevens' family tree is rotten to the core and was brutally exposed by one of the worms that used Ben Stevens for personal gain. Ex-VECO CEO Bill Allen testified in court yesterday and fingered ex-Alaskan State Senate President Stevens for taking bribes from him. Basically, it was a slam dunk for the government's eventual case against the young Stevens.

From The Washington Post:

Allen said he bribed Kott, former state Senate President Ben Stevens and former Rep. Vic Kohring. He also testified that he recruited Stevens in 1995 for work on behalf of VECO, well before Stevens was appointed to the state Senate in 2002, and that Stevens maintained a consulting contract with the company through 2006.

Stevens, the son of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, is under federal investigation but has not been charged.

"Mr. Stevens has consistently said he's not engaged in any of the illegal activity that is alleged by Mr. Allen. He denies it," John Wolfe, Stevens' attorney, told The Associated Press.

Ben can deny his "alleged" actions all he wants, but testimony under oath by the man that claims to have bribed him carries just a tad more weight than his cries of innocence. I'm sure his dad is proud to see Junior following his dad's footsteps in politics. I only wonder if Ben can last as long as his Dad. Another interesting aspect of it all, which one will be convicted of corruption first? It should be a close race.

FBI Raids Sen. Stevens Home, Not Looking So Good For Him

The good ole' boy Senator Stevens from Alaska is in a lot of hot water. Alaska has been trying to clean up the corruption that exists in their state, along with the help of the FBI and the IRS. Politicians have been in bed with people they have no business being with, while ignoring their constituents and the law. Well things are going to catch up with Ted Stevens soon, especially since the authorities raided his home yesterday.

From The Huffington Post:

Stevens, 83, has been under a federal investigation for a 2000 renovation project more than doubling the size of his home in Girdwood that was overseen by Bill Allen, a contractor who has pleaded guilty to bribing Alaska state legislators.

Allen is founder of VECO Corp., an Alaska-based oil field services and engineering company that has reaped tens of millions of dollars in federal contracts.

Agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service started their search at the senator's home Monday afternoon, said Dave Heller, FBI assistant special agent. He said he could not comment on the nature of the investigation.

Stevens isn't commenting either. He wouldn't want to jeopardize himself further, especially if and when the Feds press charges against him and he has to face a judge and jury. Of course he isn't the only one, his son is under investigation and so is Congressman Don Young (R-Of course) for their crooked ways. It isn't right that they use their office for personal gain. The people trust them to serve their constituencies.....not themselves and their friends in the oil industry.