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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14819.html
Jury: Stevens guilty on seven counts
By: John Bresnahan
October 27, 2008 04:11 PM EST
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) was convicted today on seven counts of failing to report more than $250,000 in improper gifts he received from 1999 to 2006, a stunning blow to a political career that has lasted more than 40 years and marked Alaska’s entire history as a part of the United States.
Stevens, 84, now faces a question over whether he will resign, and if he does not, whether he can win reelection Nov. 4 in an already tough race. Stevens showed no emotion, holding his stomach as verdict was read.
Stevens could also be sentenced to as much as five years in federal prison, although considering his age and lack of previous convictions, is unlikely to receive anywhere near the maximum sentence. Stevens’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 25, and Stevens' attorneys have already told Judge Sullivan they would file motions to overturn the verdict by early December.
Stevens could also appeal the decision, but would likely to have to pay a heavy political price for such a move.
The conviction came after a tumultuous week in the jury room. First there were complaints about an unruly juror, then another had to be replaced when she left Washington following the death of her father. Finally, jurors on Monday discovered a discrepancy in the indictment that had been overlooked by prosecutors. Jury deliberations in this historic trial have at times been as contentious as some of the proceedings
The Justice Department indicted Stevens on July 29, and the Alaska Republican took a huge legal gamble and asked for a speedy trial in order to resolve the charges before Election Day. Judge Emmet Sullivan complied with Stevens’ request, and in less than three months from the time of his indictment, Stevens was found guilty.
The verdict, which followed a month-long trial, puts into serious doubt Stevens’ political career, as well as his 40-year tenure in the Senate.
Stevens was seeking a seventh full term as in the Senate – he was first appointed in 1968 – and wanted to clear his name before he had to go before voters. With today’s guilty verdict, Democrat Mark Begich, Stevens’ opponent, will get a huge political boost, and make it that much more likely that he will unseat Stevens.
And even if he wins reelection, Stevens could face an expulsion from the Senate. Of the four sitting senators who were convicted of crimes while in office, only one — Sen. Truman Newberry (R-Mich.) — continued to serve after being found guilty, and he was eventually hounded out of office in 1922 by senators seeking his expulsion.
The verdict was also a huge win for the Justice Department, especially Brenda Morris, the lead prosecutor in the case, and her team of lawyers and investigators. Even investigating a lawmaker of Stevens’ standing and reputation was a risky proposition, much less indicting and convicting him. Justice Dept. officials, however, insist that they are willing to take on any public-corruption case, no matter who is involved, and today’s verdict will certainly buttress that claim.
The heart of the government’s case against Stevens centered on the nearly total overhaul of Stevens’ home in Girdwood, Alaska during 2000-01. Bill Allen, a close Stevens’ friend and former CEO of VECO Corp., an Alaska oil-field services company, paid for much of the renovation work and used VECO employees to carry it out. That work cost more than $180,000, and Stevens never paid for it or reported it on his annual financial disclosure forms..
But Stevens claimed he paid more than $160,000 to other contractors for the home renovation project. He also said that any VECO employees working on the remodeling were not working for VECO, but rather were employed by him.
Stevens and his wife, Catherine Stevens, said she handled the couple’s finances and the senator was not closely involved in the remodeling.
After some prosecutorial missteps early in the trial that almost led to the dismissal of the charges or a mistrial, the pivotal moment in the proceedings appeared to come when Stevens and his wife took the stand. Both told disjointed stories that failed to follow a cohesive narrative, and prosecutors were able to dissect their claims during cross-examination.
Stevens, in particular, was argumentative and crotchety when questioned by prosecutors, and his testimony failed to convince the jury that he was an innocent man.
"This case has been a long time coming," Morris during her closing comments to the jury. "This trial has exposed the truth about one of the longest-sitting senators.”
Jury: Stevens guilty on seven counts
By: John Bresnahan
October 27, 2008 04:11 PM EST
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) was convicted today on seven counts of failing to report more than $250,000 in improper gifts he received from 1999 to 2006, a stunning blow to a political career that has lasted more than 40 years and marked Alaska’s entire history as a part of the United States.
Stevens, 84, now faces a question over whether he will resign, and if he does not, whether he can win reelection Nov. 4 in an already tough race. Stevens showed no emotion, holding his stomach as verdict was read.
Stevens could also be sentenced to as much as five years in federal prison, although considering his age and lack of previous convictions, is unlikely to receive anywhere near the maximum sentence. Stevens’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 25, and Stevens' attorneys have already told Judge Sullivan they would file motions to overturn the verdict by early December.
Stevens could also appeal the decision, but would likely to have to pay a heavy political price for such a move.
The conviction came after a tumultuous week in the jury room. First there were complaints about an unruly juror, then another had to be replaced when she left Washington following the death of her father. Finally, jurors on Monday discovered a discrepancy in the indictment that had been overlooked by prosecutors. Jury deliberations in this historic trial have at times been as contentious as some of the proceedings
The Justice Department indicted Stevens on July 29, and the Alaska Republican took a huge legal gamble and asked for a speedy trial in order to resolve the charges before Election Day. Judge Emmet Sullivan complied with Stevens’ request, and in less than three months from the time of his indictment, Stevens was found guilty.
The verdict, which followed a month-long trial, puts into serious doubt Stevens’ political career, as well as his 40-year tenure in the Senate.
Stevens was seeking a seventh full term as in the Senate – he was first appointed in 1968 – and wanted to clear his name before he had to go before voters. With today’s guilty verdict, Democrat Mark Begich, Stevens’ opponent, will get a huge political boost, and make it that much more likely that he will unseat Stevens.
And even if he wins reelection, Stevens could face an expulsion from the Senate. Of the four sitting senators who were convicted of crimes while in office, only one — Sen. Truman Newberry (R-Mich.) — continued to serve after being found guilty, and he was eventually hounded out of office in 1922 by senators seeking his expulsion.
The verdict was also a huge win for the Justice Department, especially Brenda Morris, the lead prosecutor in the case, and her team of lawyers and investigators. Even investigating a lawmaker of Stevens’ standing and reputation was a risky proposition, much less indicting and convicting him. Justice Dept. officials, however, insist that they are willing to take on any public-corruption case, no matter who is involved, and today’s verdict will certainly buttress that claim.
The heart of the government’s case against Stevens centered on the nearly total overhaul of Stevens’ home in Girdwood, Alaska during 2000-01. Bill Allen, a close Stevens’ friend and former CEO of VECO Corp., an Alaska oil-field services company, paid for much of the renovation work and used VECO employees to carry it out. That work cost more than $180,000, and Stevens never paid for it or reported it on his annual financial disclosure forms..
But Stevens claimed he paid more than $160,000 to other contractors for the home renovation project. He also said that any VECO employees working on the remodeling were not working for VECO, but rather were employed by him.
Stevens and his wife, Catherine Stevens, said she handled the couple’s finances and the senator was not closely involved in the remodeling.
After some prosecutorial missteps early in the trial that almost led to the dismissal of the charges or a mistrial, the pivotal moment in the proceedings appeared to come when Stevens and his wife took the stand. Both told disjointed stories that failed to follow a cohesive narrative, and prosecutors were able to dissect their claims during cross-examination.
Stevens, in particular, was argumentative and crotchety when questioned by prosecutors, and his testimony failed to convince the jury that he was an innocent man.
"This case has been a long time coming," Morris during her closing comments to the jury. "This trial has exposed the truth about one of the longest-sitting senators.”
