AK Sen. Ted Stevens GUILTY: All 7 Counts

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-23-2008
AK Sen. Ted Stevens GUILTY: All 7 Counts
21
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 5:50pm
The Grand Old Policeblotter just keeps a-gettin' longer. Tubular:


Stevens Convicted of Concealing $250,000 in Gifts (Update3)

By Cary O'Reilly and Nadine Elsibai

Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Senator Ted Stevens was convicted of all seven felony charges of failing to report gifts from a company in his home state of Alaska, a possibly fatal blow to the career of the Senate's longest-serving Republican.

Stevens, 84, was convicted in Washington of making false statements on his Senate financial disclosure forms. He was accused of hiding more than $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts from Veco Corp., an Alaska oil-services company, Bill Allen, the company's founder, and other friends.

The senator's wife, Catherine, kissed him on the cheek as they were walking out of the courtroom. ``It's not over yet,'' Stevens said to her. Stevens is seeking re-election on Nov. 4, and after being indicted on July 29 he sought a speedy trial in an effort to clear his name.

``This is obviously the worst possible outcome, not only legally but politically, for Senator Stevens,'' said Jennifer Duffy, who analyzes Senate races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report in Washington.

At the same time, she said she would wait to see how Alaska voters react to the news, and whether Stevens delivers a message calling on those voters to stand with him despite the verdict. ``Remember, this is a guy whose poll numbers went up during the trial,'' Duffy said.

Stevens, a member of the Senate since 1968, is the first sitting U.S. senator convicted of a felony since 1981, when the late New Jersey Democrat Harrison Williams Jr. was found guilty of bribery and conspiracy. The false-statement charges carry a maximum prison term of five years.

`Freebies'

Stevens sought ``to hide from the public, from his constituents, that he received hundreds of thousands of dollars in freebies,'' Matthew Friedrich, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's criminal division, said outside the courthouse after the verdict. ``This investigation continues, as does our commitment to holding elected officials accountable.''

Stevens isn't required by law to give up his Senate seat. He can only be removed by a full Senate vote on a recommendation by its ethics committee. Such a process would likely take until next year and would move forward only if he is re-elected.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan delayed setting a sentencing date at the defense's request, and allowed Stevens to remain free without bail.

Senate Seat

Stevens's conviction will likely boost Democratic chances of winning an Alaska Senate seat for the first time in almost three decades. He won the Republican primary in August with 63 percent of the vote after being indicted. He faces Democrat Mark Begich, the mayor of Anchorage, in the general election. An Oct. 7 Rasmussen Reports poll had the two statistically tied.

The verdict ``should elect Begich,'' Marc Hellenthal, an Alaska pollster and political consultant, said in a phone interview from Anchorage after the verdict.

Hellenthal said Stevens has ``shown tremendous resilience'' after being charged. ``The fact that Stevens was indicted should have elected Begich, but there was a backlash and Stevens picked up some support. I don't expect that to happen now that he's been convicted.''

A legendary figure in Alaska politics, Stevens has steered billions of dollars to the state from his seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Corruption Investigation

The case stemmed from a federal investigation of political corruption in Alaska that began in 2004 and has resulted in eight convictions or guilty pleas. Allen, the prosecutors' star witness against Stevens, pleaded guilty last year to charges of bribery and conspiracy. Stevens wasn't charged with taking bribes.

Prosecutors presented evidence that between 2000 and 2006, Stevens received improvements to his home and other gifts, including a Viking gas grill, a power generator, an Alaskan sled dog and a custom-made glass window, without reporting them on his financial disclosure forms.

Prosecutors said Veco and Allen provided labor and materials to install a first floor, garage, outdoor deck and other improvements to Stevens's home in Girdwood, Alaska, which he called his ``chalet.''

Stevens, in three days on the witness stand, testified that his wife was in charge of the home renovations and paid all the bills they received. His defense lawyers said the couple spent $160,000 on the renovations and that Stevens believed his financial disclosures were accurate.

Massage Chair

Stevens insisted he never accepted as gifts other items delivered to his homes in Alaska and Washington, D.C., including a $2,700 massage chair, the gas grill and a statue depicting migrating salmon. Stevens said they were either loans or he didn't want them at all.

``We have lots of things in our house that don't belong to us,'' Stevens said when a prosecutor asked him about the chair.

Defense lawyer Brendan Sullivan called Allen ``a paid witness'' and said prosecutors ``twisted'' the evidence.

Earlier in the trial, the judge denied multiple requests from Stevens's attorneys for a mistrial or dismissal of the case over claims the prosecution withheld evidence.

The case is U.S. v. Stevens, 08cr231, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.




Konichiwa, Bitches!
McCain LOST???

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 7:10pm
This coward tried to blame this on his wife who was responsible for paying the "bills". That is horrible. He actually thought that people would believe that these "gifts" were totally unknown to him. lol. NOT. Is Sarah next?

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 7:33pm
Guilty 7 counts. WOW.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 8:02pm

Palin reserved in reaction to Stevens' verdict




By Matt Apuzzo


Associated Press Writer / October 27, 2008

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 8:48pm

((((Stevens was convicted of seven counts of lying about $250,000 in home improvements and other gifts from oil contractor Bill Allen.)))))


Wait...this sounds familiar.....


http://www.stopthinkvote.com/whatsnew/palinshouse.html


((((Who Built Sarah's Half-Million Dollar House? Another Palin Scandal On The Way?

The Palin family home is a two-story, 3,450-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bath, wood house situated on Lake Lucille (see photo and video below). According to Palin's income tax returns, the house was assessed at more than half a million dollars — $552,000 to be exact.

Todd Palin told Fox News that he built the 3,450 square-foot, half million dollar home himself with the help of some "buddies." Since Sarah Palin blocked an effort to require the filing of building permits as mayor of Wasilla, there is no record of who Todd's "buddies" were.

Coincidentally, at the same time that Todd and his "buddies" were building the Palin house, the $12.5 million dollar Wasilla sports complex and hockey rink was under construction right down the road.

The architect who was awarded the $12.5 million sports complex, Blase Burkhart, is the son of Roy Burkhart, a Palin campaign contributor and the head of the local Republican party. Additionally, several of the subcontractors on the sports complex - including Spenard Builders Supply - were also contributors to Palin's campaign.

In addition to contributing to Palin's political campaign, Spenard Builders Supply happens to be the sponsor of Todd Palin's snow-machine team. Atoine Bricks, a Spenard Builders Supply employee, stated that Spenard supplied the materials for the Palin house. If the Spenard name sounds familiar, that's because they are one of the contractors that worked on Senator Ted Stevens house.

Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens was indicted recently, for accepting $250,000 worth of free renovations to his house from oil pipeline company VECO. Spenard Builders Supply is one of the contractors that worked on Stevens house.

Palin worked on Senator Ted Steven's 527 group. Palin's name is listed on 2003 incorporation papers of the "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.," a 527 group that could raise unlimited funds from corporate donors. The group was designed to serve as a political boot camp for Republican women in the state. She served as one of three directors until June 2005, when her name was replaced on state filings.

Though there is nothing definitive here, Palin's history of cronyism - coupled with the recent finding that she abused her power as an elected official - certainly make this an item worth looking into. Due to the fact that Palin is still new on the national scene and has been shielded from the main stream press from by the McCain campaign, the fabled October Surprise could be the questions and eyebrows that House-gate is bound to raise. And frankly, with his current standing in the polls, McCain doesn't have time to fend off another Palin scandal. ))))



iVillage Member
Registered: 10-18-2008
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 8:50pm

One giant step toward better government!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I0HgJDdZdk

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-07-2008
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 8:58pm

You do remember that Sarah Palin took on some corrupt people in her own party in Alaska?

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 9:47pm

(((((Ask yourselves, what exactly has Obama done for his constituents in Illinois?

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-28-2004
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 9:53pm
Next?? How about Barney Frank and Chris Dodd??
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-18-2008
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 10:29pm
If they've broken the law, then do it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 10:35pm

Did Frank or Dodd have their homes built by a contractor working on another project that

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