Bribery Trial Provides Evidence Against Alaska Senator Ted Stevens

[L. Coyote]

Bribery Trial Provides Evidence Against Alaska Senator Ted Stevens
By Tom Fitton - Oct 1, 2007
http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272616391.shtml

Former Alaskan state legislator Pete Kott was found guilty last week of peddling his legislative influence for bribes, including $9,000 and a job with VECO Corp, an oil field services company. So why is this bad news for Alaskan Republican Senator Ted Stevens? Because Stevens, the Senate’s longest serving Republican, is under investigation by the FBI to determine whether he also received illegal gifts from VECO. Evidence presented during the trial suggests he did.
Bribery Trial Provides Evidence Against Senator Ted Stevens
Bribery Trial Provides Evidence Against Senator Ted Stevens

This according to The Associated Press: "The two-week trial included testimony by VECO chief Bill Allen that he doled out more than $400,000 in bribes to various officials and had company workers remodel the home of Stevens."

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Last week, we also learned that the FBI had been recording conversations between Allen and Stevens. And on July 30, FBI investigators searched Stevens’ home in search of evidence. In addition to the scandal involving VECO, a federal grand jury is also looking into a $3.5 million earmark from Stevens that may have financially benefited one of Stevens’ campaign contributors and, perhaps, the Senator’s son. Justice Department officials are investigating Stevens to determine whether federal funds he steered to an Alaska wildlife research center may have enriched a former aide.

None of this is all-too-surprising for a man known as the "King of Pork." ...........

[Swamp Rat]

1. k&r

[L. Coyote]

2. Today's Must Read - most outrageous of Alaska earmarking shenanigans

Today's Must Read
By Laura McGann - October 1, 2007
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004331.php

Just when you think you've heard the most outrageous of Alaska earmarking shenanigans (http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004083.php), news breaks that Sen. Ted Stevens clarified, via email,
that a $3 million earmark was meant to be handled by his personal friend and big-time campaign contributor, Bob Penney.

The Anchorage Daily News reports (http://www.adn.com/news/politics/story/9343908p-9258415c.html) that in 2004, state officials were puzzled by a line buried in an appropriations bill: "$2 million is for the Kenai River; $1 million for the Russian River."

When state officials asked Stevens to clarify, his office replied with a simple email: "The $2 million for the Kenai River; and $1 million for the Russian River go to Bob Penny ." Then it listed the phone number of a company founded by developer Bob Penney. That's $3 million in taxpayers' money.

The ADN reports that Penney's club, the Kenai River Sportsfishing Association, was the supposed intended recipient. Some environmentalists, unsurprisingly, argue the group shouldn't be handling preservation projects. ...............