http://news.yahoo.com/ FBI, IRS search home of Sen. Ted Stevens

[Jolie Rouge]

FBI, IRS search home of Sen. Ted Stevens
1 hour, 40 minutes ago

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service on Monday searched the home of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, an official said.

Investigators arrived at the Republican senator's home in Girdwood shortly before 2:30 p.m. Alaska time, said Dave Heller, FBI assistant special agent.

Heller said he could not comment on the nature of the investigation.

The Justice Department has been looking into the seven-term senator's relationship with a wealthy contractor as part of a public corruption investigation.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070730/ap_on_re_us/stevens_investigation;_ylt=Ap15elG2XwDV11wSuribORK s0NUE

[freeby4me]

Hmm, interesting.

[Jolie Rouge]

Federal agents raid Sen. Ted Stevens' Girdwood home
By RICHARD MAUER and ERIKA BOLSTAD
July 30, 2007


Federal law enforcement agents raided U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens’ Alaska home in Girdwood on Monday, hauling off undisclosed items from inside and taking extensive pictures and video. Officials wouldn’t say what they were looking for or what they found. “All I can say is that agents from the FBI and IRS are currently conducting a search at that residence,” Dave Heller, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Anchorage office, said Monday.

Neighbors said agents showed up between 11 a.m. and noon, and a commercial locksmith was called to open the front door. The agents were still there at 8:30 p.m. Stevens, 83, has long been the most powerful political figure in Alaska, and a major force in Congress. A swarm of federal agents serving a search warrant at his home is unprecedented in Alaska politics, and represents the latest chapter in the corruption investigation that burst into view last August when agents raided the offices of state legislators, the oil field services company Veco and others.

Federal investigators and grand juries in Anchorage and Washington, D.C., have been seeking information about a remodeling project at Stevens’ Girdwood home in 2000. The project, which more than doubled the size of the dwelling, was overseen by Veco CEO Bill Allen, who two months ago pleaded guilty to bribing state lawmakers and agreed to cooperate with authorities. Veco vice president Richard Smith pleaded guilty to similar charges.

Stevens said in a written statement that his lawyers were told Monday morning that federal agents “wished to search my home in Girdwood in connection with an ongoing investigation.” He wouldn’t elaborate, nor would his lawyer.

Throughout the afternoon Monday, agents could be seen coming and going from the house, on a dirt street below the Alyeska Ski Resort. Curtains were drawn much of the day, so it was impossible to know what was happening inside. Outside, agents could be seen taking extensive still and video images of the house and surrounding property. The agents were obviously cataloging fixtures and other details of the dwelling, from light switches and electrical outlets to a big stainless steel barbecue grill on a second-floor deck that neighbors said was hoisted there with crane. At one point, agents climbed on the pitched metal roof to take pictures of heat tape in the gutter.

At least two dozen agents were involved. A half-dozen federal vehicles, including a white panel truck with a satellite dish on the roof, were parked in front of the house. At least 10 more federal vehicles were parked at the ski resort’s day lodge parking lot a couple of blocks away.

One agent could be seen carrying a full large black garbage bag out of the house and putting it in the white truck.

The commotion didn’t attract much attention in laid-back Girdwood during the day, though by evening quite a few people had made Stevens’ street part of their evening dog-walking itinerary.

Agents at the house wouldn’t answer questions. Heller, the FBI spokesman in Anchorage, directed other questions to the U.S. Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section in Washington, which has been involved in the investigation with the FBI. A spokesman there had no comment, and neither did a spokesman for the IRS.

Three contractors who worked on the remodeling project told the Daily News in May that their records had been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury, and others connected with the work and with Stevens said they had been interviewed or called to appear before a grand jury. One of the contractors who worked on the job said he was hired by Veco CEO Bill Allen. The contractor said that his invoices were paid by Stevens and his wife, Catherine, but that the bills were reviewed first by Veco. A federal law enforcement official, who spoke on condition of not being identified by name, said the FBI is trying to determine whether Stevens has received a hidden benefit stemming from his position in Congress.

If Stevens received renovation work for which he did not pay, it could be deemed unreported income by the IRS. Receipt of unreported renovation work also could amount to an illegal gratuity. Or if it were performed in return for political favors, it could be considered a bribe. Two weeks ago, Stevens told reporters that money for the remodeling came out of his own pocket.

“As a practical matter, I will tell you. We paid every bill that was given to us,” Stevens told reporters. “Every bill that was sent to us has been paid, personally, with our own money, and that’s all there is to it. It’s our own money.”

Stevens’ Washington, D.C., lawyer, Brendan Sullivan, said Monday that he had a “longstanding practice not to comment on such matters” and would not answer any questions about the raid. Sullivan, one of the best-known criminal defense lawyers in Washington, represented former Lt. Col. Oliver North, the central figure in the Iran-Contra scandal in the late 1980s.

Beyond what he said about being notified of the search, Stevens’ written statement Monday echoed what he’s said several times in recent months -- that he’s not commenting on the federal corruption investigation.

“I know Alaskans are interested in my views on the investigation. While I understand this interest and would like to discuss these issues in great detail, the interests of justice and our state are best served if I make my comments after federal officials complete their work."

Stevens said he urged “Alaskans not to form conclusions based upon incomplete and sometimes incorrect reports in the media. The legal process should be allowed to proceed so that all the facts can be established and the truth determined.”

“For over 50 years I have worked hard for Alaskans as part of our territorial, state and federal governments. And I will continue to do all I can to assure that government meets our people’s unique needs.” A total of four former state lawmakers have been charged with bribery, along with a prison-industry lobbyist. One, former Anchorage Rep. Tom Anderson, was convicted earlier this summer of bribery and other crimes for taking money from a lobbyist for a private prison company. The others are awaiting trial.

Allen and Smith are awaiting sentencing and agreed to cooperate with the investigation.

Last August, federal agents served more than 20 search warrants across the state, including at the offices of six state legislators, including Ted Stevens’ son, Ben Stevens, who at the time was president of the state Senate. Ben Stevens has not been charged, but Allen’s guilty plea in May described Veco paying him some $243,000 in phony “consulting” fees while he was in office.

http://www.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/story/9179115p-9095789c.html

[Jolie Rouge]

July 31, 2007
Are They Looking For Frozen Pork?

The FBI and the IRS raided the newly-renovated home of Senator Ted Stevens in Alaska, looking for evidence of political corruption in an investigation that has already corralled his son and one of his closest political backers. Bill Allen, the CEO of oil-services firm VECO, got convicted of bribing state legislators earlier this year, and now the FBI and IRS want to see what Allen may have given the Republican Senator in exchange for millions of contracts in earmarks:


Agents from the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service raided the Alaska home of Sen. Ted Stevens (R) yesterday as part of a broad federal investigation of political corruption in the state that has also swept up his son and one of his closest financial backers, officials said.
Stevens, the longest-serving Republican senator in history, is under scrutiny from the Justice Department for his ties to an Alaska energy services company, Veco, whose chief executive pleaded guilty in early May to a bribery scheme involving state lawmakers.

Contractors have told a federal grand jury that in 2000, Veco executives oversaw a lavish remodeling of Stevens's house in Girdwood, an exclusive ski resort area 40 miles from Anchorage, according to statements by the contractors. ...

(AP) Stevens, 83, is under a federal investigation for his connections to Bill Allen, founder of VECO Corp., an Alaska-based oil field services and engineering company that has reaped tens of millions of dollars in federal contracts.


These are the wages of pork. Allowing earmarks gives lawmakers far too easy a path to reward constituents who reward the lawmakers. It's bad enough when they buy political contributions through earmarks to protect their incumbencies, but we've seen Duke Cunningham and William Jefferson shake down special interests for their own personal enrichment.

Stevens has not yet been charged with a crime, and judgment should be held until we at least see an indictment. Given that Stevens has been one of the more ridiculous figures in Washington in protecting his pork, though, he brings these character questions on himself. Hysterical defenses of $200 million projects to benefit a few dozen residents of an island practically begs people to question who gets the money and how that benefits Stevens.

We should keep a close eye on this investigation and the companion probe into Stevens' Alaskan colleague in the House, Don Young. Both have connections to VECO, and both have insisted that earmarks are their own money to do with what they see fit. Until we end that facility by which our elected representatives can raid the taxpayers' treasury to bestow favors and line their own pockets, we will continue to see embarrassing corruption probes into the activities of members of both parties. This, unfortunately, is where partisanship ends in Washington.

http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/010685.php

[Jolie Rouge]

See also : http://www.bigbigforums.com/news-information/592610-sen-stevens-indicted-7-false-statements-counts.html?highlight=Stevens+Alaska


Sen. Ted Stevens found guilty in corruption case
By MATT APUZZO and JESSE J. HOLLAND, AP Writers
3 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted of seven corruption charges Monday in a trial that threatened to end the 40-year career of Alaska's political patriarch in disgrace.

The verdict, coming barely a week before Election Day, increased Stevens' difficulty in winning what already was a difficult race against Democratic challenger Mark Begich. Democrats hope to seize the once reliably Republican seat as part of their bid for a filibuster-proof majority in
the Senate.

Stevens, 84, was convicted of all the felony charges he faced of lying about free home renovations and other gifts from a wealthy oil contractor. Jurors began deliberating last week.

The senator showed no emotion as the jury foreman said "guilty" seven times. After the verdicts, Stevens sat in his chair and stared at the ceiling as attorney Brendan Sullivan put his arm around him.

Stevens faces up to five years in prison on each count when he is sentenced, but under federal guidelines he is likely to receive much less prison time, if any. The judge originally scheduled sentencing for Jan. 26 but then changed his mind and did not immediately set a date.

The monthlong trial revealed that employees for VECO Corp., an oil services company, transformed Stevens' modest mountain cabin into a modern, two-story home with wraparound porches, a sauna and a wine cellar.

The Senate's longest-serving Republican, Stevens said he had no idea he was getting freebies. He said he paid $160,000 for the project and believed that covered everything.

He had asked for an unusually speedy trial, hoping he'd be exonerated in time to return to Alaska and win re-election. He kept his campaign going and gave no indication that he had a contingency plan in case of conviction.

Despite being a convicted felon, he is not required to drop out of the race or resign from the Senate. If he wins re-election, he can continue to hold his seat because there is no rule barring felons from serving in Congress. The Senate could vote to expel him on a two-thirds vote.

"Put this down: That will never happen — ever, OK?" Stevens said in the weeks leading up to his trial. "I am not stepping down. I'm going to run through, and I'm going to win this election."

Democrats have invested heavily in the race, running television advertisements starring fictional FBI agents and featuring excerpts from wiretaps.

Stevens' conviction hinged on the testimony of Bill Allen, the senator's longtime drinking and fishing buddy. Allen, the founder of VECO, testified that he never billed his friend for the work on the house and that Stevens knew he was getting a special deal.

Stevens spent three days on the witness stand, vehemently denying that allegation. He said his wife, Catherine, paid every bill they received.

Living in Washington, thousands of miles away, made it impossible to monitor the project every day, he said. Stevens relied on Allen to oversee the renovations, he said, and his friend deceived him by not forwarding all the bills.

Stevens is a legendary figure in Alaska, where he has wielded political influence since before statehood. His knack for steering billions of dollars in federal money to his home state has drawn praise from his constituents and consternation from budget hawks.

There was no immediate word on Stevens' campaign plans. His spokesman, Aaron Saunders, did not immediately return a message seeking comment on whether Stevens would stay in the race.

Stevens is the fifth senator convicted of criminal charges. The last previous one was Republican David Durenberger of Minnesota, who was indicted in 1993 on charges of conspiring to make fraudulent claims for Senate reimbursement of $3,825 in lodging expenses. He later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and was sentenced to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine.

The jurors left the court without comment.

Said U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan: "The jurors have unanimously told me that no one has any desire to speak to any member of the media. They have asked to go home and they are en route home."

The jurors had been shuttled to and from the proceedings each day by court officials.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/stevens_trial;_ylt=Au8fzS6ixOSXesoGgPNbUgqs0NUE

[Jolie Rouge]

Sources: Ex-Sen. Stevens’ Conviction To Be Voided
by Nina Totenberg
Morning Edition, April 1, 2009


The Justice Department will drop all charges against former Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, NPR has learned.

:wth:


A jury convicted Stevens last fall of seven counts of lying on his Senate disclosure form in order to conceal $250,000 in gifts from an oil industry executive and other friends. Stevens was the longest-serving Republican in the Senate, however, he lost his bid for an eighth full term in office just days after he was convicted. Since then, charges of prosecutorial misconduct have delayed his sentencing and prompted defense motions for a new trial.

According to Justice Department officials, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has decided to drop the case against Stevens rather than continue to defend the conviction in the face of persistent problems stemming from the actions of prosecutors.

The judge in the Stevens case has repeatedly delayed sentencing and criticized trial prosecutors for what he’s called prosecutorial misconduct. At one point, prosecutors were held in contempt. Things got so bad that the Justice Department finally replaced the trial team, including top-ranking officials in the office of public integrity. That’s the department’s section charged with prosecuting public corruption cases.

With more ugly hearings expected, Holder is said to have decided late Tuesday to pull the plug. Stevens’ lawyers are expected to be informed Wednesday morning that the department will dismiss the indictment against the former senator.

Holder’s decision is said to be based on Stevens’ age — he’s 85 — and because Stevens is no longer in the Senate. Perhaps most importantly, Justice Department officials say Holder wants to send a message to prosecutors throughout the department that actions he regards as misconduct will not be tolerated.

Holder began his career in the department’s public integrity section; and, according to sources, he was horrified by the failure of prosecutors to turn over all relevant materials to the defense.

The attorney general also knows the trial judge, Emmett Sullivan, well. The two men served together as judges of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before each was promoted to higher office.

Holder respects Sullivan and reportedly has watched with growing alarm as Sullivan repeatedly has scolded prosecutors for failing to follow his judicial orders to fully inform defense lawyers about everything from potentially favorable evidence to the travel plans of witnesses. During the trial, prosecutorial missteps led to the judge instructing the jury to disregard some evidence.

Sentencing has been repeatedly delayed. By last month, it was playing a back seat to charges of prosecutorial misconduct — as a whistle-blowing FBI agent made complaints about improper conduct by a fellow agent and prosecutors. With a hearing scheduled in two weeks to explore those charges, Holder decided to review the case himself.

Justice Department officials say they will withdraw their opposition to the defense motion for a new trial and will dismiss the indictment — in effect voiding the Stevens conviction.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102589818



Ah, well, the convictions held up long enough for Mr. Stevens to lose his election.

Which is all the Democrats wanted.

Isn’t justice grand?