Grand jury examines (Ted) Stevens' ties to Veco

[roguevalley]

http://www.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/story/9013136p-8922071c.html

A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., heard evidence last month about the expansion of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens' Girdwood home in 2000 and other matters connecting Stevens to the oil services company Veco Inc.

As the far-reaching federal investigation into corruption in Alaska politics spreads to Washington, Stevens family friend and neighbor Bob Persons was ordered to appear before a grand jury in Washington on May 25. The government directed him to produce documents related to the work on Stevens' Girdwood house, especially to work that might have been performed by Veco and contractors who were hired or supervised by Veco.

Another close associate of Stevens, Anchorage businessman Bob Penney, testified two weeks ago before the federal grand jury in Anchorage that has been gathering evidence in the corruption cases.

MORE LINKS: http://www.adn.com/news/politics/corruption

His son is also in the fryer.

[rodeodance]

1. He is such a smuck--I hope something comes of this!

[roguevalley]

3. you and me both, honey. :)

[rodeodance]

2. Prosecutors don't take an investigation into a sitting member of Congress lightly, Butler said.

........Legal experts in corruption cases said that while it's unusual for prosecutors to use grand juries in separate jurisdictions in an investigation, they may have sound reasons. The experts also cautioned that even though prosecutors may be presenting evidence to a grand jury, that doesn't mean crimes have been committed.

Paul Butler, a law professor at George Washington University and a former federal attorney who prosecuted a U.S. senator and several FBI agents, said it could simply be a matter of convenience for witnesses.

Jules Epstein, a law professor at the Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Del., and a criminal defense lawyer, said the grand juries could be investigating separate, unlinked crimes.

Peter Henning, a law professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, said prosecutors might bring a case against a popular elected official in Washington to avoid being "home-courted."

Prosecutors don't take an investigation into a sitting member of Congress lightly, Butler said. They almost certainly must get the approval of the attorney general, he said.