Sen. Stevens Enters Not Guilty Plea

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

ABC News' Theresa Cook and Matt Jaffe Report: At his Thursday afternoon arraignment before a federal judge, Sen. Ted Stevens pleaded not guilty to charges that he concealed $250,000 worth of gifts he received from an oil services company.

A swarm of media surrounded the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. in anticipation of the Alaska Republican's appearance, but he did not speak to reporters as he entered the building.

On Tuesday, a federal grand jury handed down a seven-count indictment, charging that Stevens received $250,000 worth of gifts from the now-defunct Alaska firm VECO, but did not report them on financial disclosure forms he is required to submit to the secretary of the Senate.

The company and its CEO allegedly paid for major renovations to Stevens' Girdwood, Alaska home, participated in a car swap with the Senator in which he received a significantly more valuable vehicle that the one he put up in the trade, and outfitted his home with a professional grill, tool cabinet and furniture, according to the indictment.



Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/07/sen-stevens-ent.html

[liberal N proud]

1. NO!

:rofl:

[kestrel91316]

2. Do we have his booking photo by any chance, lol?

[L. Coyote]

3. Alaska's 'earmarks' king Stevens, now indicted

Alaska's 'earmarks' king Stevens, now indicted

Some predict the charges may end the career of an Alaskan icon who has dominated the state's political scene since territorial days.
By Yereth Rosen | Christian Science Monitor July 31, 2008 - http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0731/p01s11-uspo.html


Fair Use Cited.

Girdwood, Alaska - It is, according to federal prosecutors, the scene of the crime. But as potential illegal payout, it appears a paltry trade for what could be the ruin of Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens's long legacy of public service.

The modest chalet-style house on a dirt road south of Anchorage has peeling brown paint, a front lawn in need of mowing, and a pair of handmade campaign signs. The house, the official Alaska residence of Senator Stevens, .....

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. Breaking headline: "Innocent until proven republican"

[fla nocount]

5. Wake up and smell the coffee, boy.

You've thrown under the bus, tossed to the curb, fed to the jackals. You're the sacrificial anode on the engine of state. Plead guilty and plea bargain, come into the light, we'll take you....with your testimony.

[mikeytherat]

21. Well, once an anode reaches that level of corrosion, you have to replace it.

And Ted's been oxidizing for years.

mikey_the_rat

[brooklynite]

6. "I am not Gay; I never have been Gay"...

oops! wrong Republican scandal (hard to keep track of them)

[brooklynite]

7. Prosecutors said they did not object to a trial date in late September

"That is absolutely fine," said prosecutor Brenda K. Morris.

No objection here....

[superconnected]

8. Sen. Ted Stevens gets chance to clear name before election

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens pleaded not guilty to corruption charges Thursday and received an unusually speedy trial date, which he hopes will clear his name before voters consider re-electing him in November.

Stevens, a Capitol Hill bulldozer accustomed to winning political battles, wrangled control of the normally sluggish judicial process. The Senate's longest-serving Republican faces a tough re-election fight and made it clear Thursday that he does not want his seven-count indictment getting in the way.

"He'd like to clear his name before the election," attorney Brendan Sullivan told U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan. Sullivan added: "This is not a complex case. It should be one that moves quickly."

The Justice Department accuses Stevens of lying on congressional disclosure documents about more than $250,000 in gifts and home renovations he received over seven years from a powerful oil field services contractor.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080731/ap_on_go_co/stevens

[aquart]

9. One day his solid brass balls will be in a museum.

[superconnected]

10. These crooks are in serious denial. It's why they're so successfully bad

and get a way with it while karma would get the rest of us if we did the same things.

He believes stealing, lying and cheating are fine.

[BrklynLiberal]

11. I hope he is on jail before the next election...

[Catshrink]

12. Maybe he'll croak like Kenny Boy

and go to the * compound in Paraguay.

[Demeter]

13. A Speedy Trial With Damning Evidence Would Be a Lose-Lose

He must be senile, or have found a bribable out.

[Arctic Dave]

14. All the lawmakers tied to this said the same thing.

All the lawmakers tied to this are in prison now. I don't think ted will be any different.

[santamargarita]

15. He just wants to get a pardon before Bush finally leaves!

Asshole

[jaybeat]

16. Speedy trial before the election?

Sounds like Bush v. Gore, where the Supreme Assholes declared that counting the votes would do irrepairable harm... to Bush!

They should make him rot in the county jail for 12 months or so like the disgustingly common criminal he is.

Don't the give the electric chair for bribery?

:evilgrin:

[harmonicon]

17. exactly (nt)

[grantcart]

18. federal prosecutors almost never lose

they don't seek indictments unless they are 100%

[unapatriciated]

19. How's that FISA vote working out for you Ted?

Stevens (R-AK), Yea

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/r...

"The former executives are cooperating with the FBI. One of them, Bill Allen, let agents tape his phone calls with the senator. The Justice Department said Thursday it has 500 gigabytes of evidence in the case, including wiretap conversations and hidden video. That's enough to fill the most powerful consumer computers on the market."

[Deny and Shred]

20. This sort of thing sank Kerik.

During the intervening years, much has changed.

Zappa talked about how each new retro movement was commemorating a period that was more recent than the previous retro movement. He speculated eventually the present and that which is 'retro' will one day meet.

Maybe the same holds true of high crimes and misdemeanors. We've come to learn that Nixonian coverups are A-Okay these days, so I guess we'll see if this kind of bribery is still a crime.