U.S. to drop charges against former Sen. Stevens: report

[Scurrilous]

Source: Reuters

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"The U.S. Justice Department has decided to drop all charges against former Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens amid charges of prosecutorial misconduct, NPR reported on Wednesday, citing Justice officials.

Stevens was convicted last fall of seven counts of lying on a Senate disclosure form to conceal $250,000 in gifts from an oil industry executive and other friends. Allegations of prosecutorial misconduct have delayed his sentencing.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has decided not to continue to defend the conviction in the face of persistent problems stemming from prosecutors' actions, NPR reported on its web site."


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE5302O820090401

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Sources: Sen. Stevens Conviction To Be Voided

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"NPR's has learned that the Justice Department will drop all charges against former Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska.

A jury convicted Stevens last fall of seven counts of lying on his senate disclosure form in order to conceal $250,000 in gifts from an oil industry executive and other friends. Stevens was longest-serving Republican in the Senate, however, he lost his bid for an eighth full-term in office just days after he was convicted. Since then, charges of prosecutorial misconduct have delayed his sentencing and prompted defense motions for a new trial."

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"The judge in the Stevens case has repeatedly delayed sentencing and criticized trial prosecutors for what he's called prosecutorial misconduct. At one point, prosecutors were held in contempt. Things got so bad that the Justice Department finally replaced the trial team, including top-ranking officials in the office of public integrity. That's the department's section charged with prosecuting public corruption cases.

With more ugly hearings expected, Holder is said to have decided late Tuesday to pull the plug. Stevens lawyers are expected to be informed Wednesday morning that the department will dismiss the indictment against the former senator.

Holder's decision is said to be based on Stevens age, he's 84; and because Stevens is no longer in the Senate. Perhaps most importantly, Justice Department officials say Holder wants to send a message to prosecutors throughout the department that actions he regards as misconduct will not be tolerated."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102589818