Republican, oil...hmmm? Am I surprised?

quote:

Alaska Senator Ted Stevens Charged in Corruption Case By Robert Schmidt July 29 (Bloomberg) -- Ted Stevens of Alaska, the longest- serving Republican in the U.S. Senate, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington on charges of hiding hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts he received. Stevens, 84, was charged with seven counts of making false statements on his Senate financial disclosure forms from 1999 to 2006 by failing to report more than $250,000 in gifts and renovations on his house. Stevens ``knowingly and willfully engaged in a scheme to conceal'' gifts he got from Veco Corp., an Anchorage oil-services contractor, and its chief executive officer, today's indictment said. Stevens's indictment boosts Democratic chances of winning an Alaska Senate seat for the first time in almost three decades if he remains a candidate, said Nathan Gonzales of the Rothenberg Political Report. ``If Stevens is on the ballot, I would expect Democrats to win the seat,'' he said. Democrats captured control of both houses of Congress in 2006 in part by accusing Republicans of a ``culture of corruption.'' Stevens's case is unrelated to Jack Abramoff, the imprisoned Republican lobbyist and central figure in the influence-peddling scandal that rocked Congress. Virginia Republican Senator John Warner called Stevens ``a fighter'' and said, ``I hope this will turn out fairly.'' Served Since 1968 Stevens has served in the Senate since 1968 and has held some of its most powerful positions, including chairmanships of the Appropriations and Commerce committees. He has funneled millions of federal dollars to projects in Alaska. The senator's office in Alaska referred calls to Washington- based spokesman Steve Wackowski, who wasn't immediately available. The indictment said Stevens used ``his official position and his office on behalf of Veco.'' The company and Stevens discussed funding requests for international projects and partnerships, requests for grants and contracts to benefit the company, and his assistance with an effort to construct a natural gas pipeline, the court papers said. Gifts he received included improvements on a home in Alaska, new vehicles, furniture and a professional Viking gas grill, according to court papers. Since 1999, Stevens has directed more than $3 billion in pet projects, or ``earmarks,'' toward his state, according to Citizens Against Government Waste, a Washington-based nonprofit advocacy group. The organization calculated that in 2006, the federal money amounted to almost $500 per person in Alaska, whose population is just 670,000. `Bridge to Nowhere' One particular earmark in 2005, termed the ``Bridge to Nowhere,'' earned notoriety for Stevens and Don Young, Alaska's lone representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. While the funds for the bridge -- which was to connect the town of Ketchikan to an island of 50 full-time residents -- were eventually canceled, the money became a symbol of excessive spending on special-interest projects. Stevens, undeterred by the negative publicity, threatened at one point to resign if the Senate rescinded the bridge money. Stevens is the latest Alaska lawmaker charged in a federal investigation of political corruption in the state that began in 2004. Executives of Veco pleaded guilty to charges of bribing state lawmakers to minimize taxes on oil companies. One Veco executive testified last year that he paid for part of a 2000 remodeling of Stevens's house in Girdwood, Alaska. Seven Convictions The investigation has resulted in seven criminal convictions, including three former state lawmakers, two former oil executives, a lobbyist and the chief of staff of former Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski. Politics played no part in the Stevens case, Matthew Friedrich, the Justice Department's acting criminal division chief, said at a news conference in Washington. ``We bring cases as prosecutors when we believe they are ready,'' he said. ``That policy has been followed to the letter in this case.'' Stevens faces six Republican challengers in an Aug. 26 primary election. Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich is among three candidates seeking the Democratic nomination. On July 21, Rassmusen Reports released a poll that had Begich ahead of Stevens 50 percent to 41 percent. Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Texas Republican, was the most recent U.S. senator to be indicted when she was accused in 1993 of misusing state resources, according to the Senate historian. A judge ordered Hutchison acquitted a year later.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?...g0uw&refer=home

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