Stevens Corruption Trial Begins

Senator unlikely to restore reputation

(NEWSER) - Legally, Ted Stevens is off the hook. But it's unlikely he'll be able to regain his stature, or the Senate honors he might otherwise have been afforded, Laurie Kellman writes for the AP. His peers were notably restrained in response to yesterday's news that Justice is likely to void the Alaska Republican's conviction on failure to report gifts because of prosecutorial misconduct. "Boy, how do you get your reputation back when you've been so smeared?" asked Orrin Hatch, conspicuously not offering to lead the charge. More»

Deliberations to begin Wednesday

(NEWSER) - The jury in the corruption trial of Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens will begin deliberating tomorrow, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Prosecutors urged the jury to use common sense to conclude that $250,000 in gifts received by the powerful senator were bribes. His defense counsel told jurors that evidence against Stevens, 84, has been twisted. More»

Ted's team wants new trial over secret-sharing

(NEWSER) - Lawyers for former Sen. Ted Stevens say the head FBI agent in his corruption case got a little too cozy with a key witness against Stevens, Politico reports. The defense lawyers cite an FBI whistleblower's memo that “strongly suggests that the inappropriate relationship” between the agent and an oilman “was sexual”—and that agent Mary Beth Kepner “wore a skirt” for Bill Allen the day he testified. More»

Senator came across as evasive, combative in cross-examination

(NEWSER) - Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens' decision not to take the Fifth in his corruption trial was a bold gamble that backfired, the Hill writes. The Republican came across as "evasive and combative" under tough questioning on the stand, hurting his credibility and adding weight to the prosecution's argument that the senator had conspired to conceal free gifts from a company that stood to benefit from his clout. More»

(NEWSER) - After 5 hours of deliberations, a federal jury found Ted Stevens guilty today on all seven corruption counts against him. Coming just before Election Day, the felony convictions cloud the political future of the 84-year-old Republican, who has represented Alaska in the Senate since 1968. As the foreman read the verdict, Stevens slumped slightly, the Anchorage Daily News reports. He later told his wife, "It's not over yet." More»