Sen. testifies that he asked for all renovation bills, and thought he paid for everything
The Hill Oct 17, 08 1:26 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Ted Stevens was out of the loop on his home renovation, preferring to let his wife handle financial details, the Hill reports. In testimony today in Washington, the senator said he was only at the cabin for two days in 2000 while renovations were ongoing. He also said he thought all bills were paid, detailing loans and cash he obtained to pay for the work.
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Catherine Stevens says she thought oil workers were part of construction crew
Anchorage Daily News Oct 16, 08 2:48 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Ted Stevens’ wife, testifying at the Alaska senator’s Washington corruption trial today, said she didn’t know that two men working on a home renovation were oil-company employees, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Catherine Stevens, herself a lawyer, often spoke directly to the jury as the defense pushed its case that the senator paid all relevant bills, and is innocent of lying about gifts.
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'Think of it as a political contribution,' pal said
Anchorage Daily News Oct 15, 08 1:31 PM CDT
(Newser)
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An Alaska oil exec told a carpenter working on renovations to Sen. Ted Stevens home that he would have to “eat” a final $13,393 bill, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The carpenter, Augie Paone, took the stand in Stevens’ corruption trial today in Washington, telling the court that Bill Allen said he should look at the bill “as a political contribution.”
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Wife could also take stand in senator's corruption trial
Reuters Oct 14, 08 2:29 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Sen. Ted Stevens appears likely to testify tomorrow as part of his defense against corruption charges, Reuters reports. The Alaska Republican, charged with failing to disclose $250,000 gifts from oil firms, told a Washington court today he understood he was not legally required to testify. Stevens’ wife, Catherine, may also take the stand, as the senator says she handled payments related to renovations of their Alaska home.
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Ex-general, diplomat appears at senator's corruption trial
Anchorage Daily News Oct 10, 08 6:20 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Colin Powell testified in Ted Stevens' defense today, characterizing the Alaska senator's reputation as "sterling" and saying he "was someone whose word you could rely on." On the stand in Washington as a character witness, the ex-secretary of state impishly said he had "dabbled a bit in diplomacy" and discussed his 25-year association with Stevens, whom he described as a "trusted individual," the Anchorage Daily News reports.
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Associated Press Oct 7, 08 6:09 PM CDT
(AP)
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Two close friends of Sen. Ted Stevens schemed to conceal the fact that one was paying for extensive work done at the senator's cabin in Alaska, according to FBI audiotapes played today at Stevens' corruption trial. The pair, Bill Allen and Bob Persons, are heard on tape fretting in February 2006 over a plumbing bill marked, "Labor paid for by Bill." They agreed to "make that disappear" and get a check from Stevens to pay for the work—one that would never be cashed.
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Alaska senator curses, claims innocence in talks with key witness
Anchorage Daily News Oct 7, 08 7:03 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Jurors heard tapes yesterday of Ted Stevens cursing federal investigators and declaring his innocence in conversations he did not know were being recorded, reports the Anchorage Daily News . Stevens was speaking with former Veco CEO Bill Allen, the prosecution’s chief witness in the Alaska senator’s corruption trial. "I'm developing the attitude that I don't think I did anything wrong,” Stevens says in one of the recordings.
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Convict's betting prompted league-wide integrity investigation
USA Today Oct 3, 08 10:25 AM CDT
(Newser)
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No NBA referee other than Tim Donaghy, who’s currently serving time for gambling, has been up to anything illegal in the sport, a 14-month league probe has found. But the report’s author did have some suggestions for keeping the game clean, including a hotline for tips on suspicious activity and more access to referees for fans and the media, USA Today reports.
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Prosecutors withheld FBI reports on witness
Associated Press Oct 2, 08 11:34 AM CDT
(Newser)
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A federal judge sent the jury in Ted Stevens’ Washington corruption trial home today as he considers declaring a mistrial for the Alaska senator, the AP reports. Stevens’ lawyers claimed that prosecutors attempted to withhold FBI reports about the government’s key witness, former oil exec Bill Allen, that they say would’ve helped their defense.
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Government's chief witness acknowledges giving inappropriate gifts to Alaska sen.
Associated Press Sep 30, 08 4:37 PM CDT
(AP)
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A longtime friend of Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens crossed the powerful lawmaker and testified today as the star witness in the Republican senator's gift-giving trial. The fiercely loyal Stevens did not acknowledge Bill Allen when he entered the courtroom. The two men barely looked at each other as Allen prepared to testify that he gave the senator $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts.
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Guv seeks to polish off a smudge in her anti-corruption cred
Associated Press Sep 26, 08 8:45 AM CDT
(AP)
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When Sarah Palin ran for governor, she made a point of not taking any money from VECO, an oil company at the center of a corruption scandal. But she did take, and will now give to charity, donations of $1,000 each from two politicians indicted for their role in the scandal, and another $1,000 from one of their wives.
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Lawyers asked that Senate duty be noted
Anchorage Daily News Sep 23, 08 1:42 PM CDT
(Newser)
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If Ted Stevens leaves court to attend to the current financial crisis, a federal judge warns he won't relay details to the jury, reports the Anchorage Daily News. Jurors in the corruption trial would simply be notified of the senator's absence and told that there is nothing wrong with it, the judge said today, adding, "I think it's possible that some jurors may think someone is too busy."
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