Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens Indicted

One year ago, almost to the day, I wrote about a corruption investigation in Alaska that had expanded to include both Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) and Rep. Don Young (R-AK).

On Tuesday, Sen. Bridge-To-No-Where Stevens, 84, was indicted on seven felony counts relating to accepting $250,000 in gifts and services from Veco, an Alaska oil services and construction company at the center of the now four-year-old corruption probe. Company officials pleaded guilty to bribing state legislators; the federal investigation has resulted in seven convictions.

Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the Senate, is to stand for re-election in November for an eighth six-year term; this indictment casts a pall over that bid. It also adds to the woes of the GOP.

According to McClatchy, Stevens is only the "11th sitting senator to be charged under federal criminal laws since 1808." Stevens has asserted he is innocent. Conforming with Senate rules, he is stepping down from his leadership roles on the Senate Commerce and an Appropriations committees.

Investigation Background
Last May, Bill Allen, then Veco CEO, and Richard Smith, a former VECO vice president, pleaded guilty "to making more than $400,000 in corrupt payments to public officials from Alaska." Compare that to the legal contributions recorded at Open Secrets: Allen donated $179,200 to various Republican incumbents and PACs from 1990 - 2007.

Veco was acquired by CH2M Hill in 2007.

In 2006, the FBI raided the offices of six Alaska lawmakers, including Sen. Stevens' son, Ben, a state legislator.

Also, see:

• State Politics At A Glance: Alaska
• Earmark Killed, But Funds Still Head to Alaska
• Gone But Not Forgotten: Energy, Oil and Alaska
• Members of Congress Shell Out $1 Million in Legal Fees