Source:
Anchorage Daily News By Richard Mauer and Erika Bolstad
Anchorage Daily News
WASHINGTON - Jurors today finally got to see and hear for themselves the man at the center of Sen. Ted Stevens corruption trial: Bill Allen, the former chief executive officer of Veco Inc.
Allen took the stand this afternoon, beginning by telling jurors the story of his hardscrabble origins and how he worked his way from welder to wealthy owner of one of Alaska's biggest employers.
Allen described meeting Stevens for the first time, in the early 1980s, at fundraisers and events for Frank Murkowski, who was running for the U.S. Senate. He spoke wistfully of their former "close, personal friendship" and how they used to go to "boot camp" in the desert Southwest - where they would walk around, eating little and drinking only wine, "trying to get some pounds off."
Prosecutors introduced a photo of Stevens and Allen as they were catching a king salmon.
"We kind of really liked each other," Allen said. "Had the same thoughts. Ted really worked hard. Ted loved Alaska, and I loved Alaska."
While he was speaking, Stevens looked down at the table, writing something.
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http://www.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/stevens/story/541570.html
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