Bribery Charges for the GOP's most senior Senator?

[rpschutt]

Two senior Republican lawmakers are reportedly under criminal investigation for alleged corruption linked to an Alaska oil services company.

Federal authorities are looking into whether Representative Don Young or Senator Ted Stevens accepted bribes, illegal gratuities or unreported gifts from VECO Corp., an oil field engineering firm in Alaska, the Wall Street Journal wrote, citing unnamed "people close to the case."

It remained unclear what the company may have received in return for the alleged favors, the newspaper said. The firm has won a series of federal government contracts since 2000, including projects to deliver logistics support for arctic research, it said.

The two lawmakers are the latest to come under federal investigation after a series of corruption probes in recent years that sent two members of Congress to prison and resulted in a bribery indictment of another lawmaker.
*****
The Federal Bureau of Investigation last year raided the offices of Stevens' son, Ben Stevens, and seized papers related to VECO's pipeline projects and other documents, the Journal said.

http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Two_US_lawmakers_face_corruption_pr_07252007.html

[Diane Melendez]

:thumbs up:That's good news. Let's get rid of all the crooks and liars at all levels of government. If it can happen there, it can happen here.

[rpschutt]

This scandal has been brewing in Alaska for quite some time and it was just a matter of time before it made its way to DC.

The GOP totally dominates Alaska politics and all major offices are held by Republicans. However, things are starting to change--not necessairly a party change, but a change within the party. In last year's GOP Gubernatorial primary, the incumbent Governor (who had served over 20 years in the US Senate) came in 3rd. The new Governor is a young, ambitious upstart former Senator who is someone to watch in the future. She made a big splash several years ago by resigning from a powerful State Committee. Of course, she did this after filing ethics complaints about several of her fellow Committee members, one of whom was the State GOP Chairman. She received no official party backing and yet won an upset majority in a 3-way race and went on to defeat a very popular former Democratic Governor.

We'll see what comes of this mess and how she responds to it.

[rpschutt]

Here's a little bit about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin

She's been nicknamed "Gov. Hottie" by a lot of the blogs...lol.

[jbm32206]

If we got rid of all the crooks...we'd pretty much have to run elections throughout the country in hopes of finding some good guys :giggle:...(just kidding, I know there's actually good elected officials.)

[spidey]

FBI, IRS Raid Sen. Stevens's Home

By Dan Eggen and Paul Kane (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/dan+eggen+and+paul+kane/)
Washington Post Staff Writer and Washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Monday, July 30, 2007; 8:20 PM

Agents from the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service yesterday raided the Alaska home of Sen. Ted Stevens (R), as part of a broad federal investigation of political corruption in the state that has also swept up his son and one of his closest financial backers, officials said.

.....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/30/AR2007073001427.html?hpid=moreheadlines

[rpschutt]

Not a good sign for the GOP. I suppose; however, that this just gives Karl Rove more ammunition that the GOP's troubles aren't about George W Bush at all--they are about Congress. I'm voting for "all of the above."

[jbm32206]

I have to agree with you, that it's "all of the above."

[rpschutt]

RedState, which is one of the more prominent conservative blogs, is pointing out that 2/3rds of Alaska's Congressional delegation is under investigation (1 Senator and 1 Representative). They are calling for primary challenges against both Stevens and Young, something not entirely out of the realm of possibility considering what happened to Gov. Murkowski in 2006.

[Diane Melendez]

Well, I guess there is not alot to do up there in Alaska except hang out in the backroom cutting deals. Perhaps some of our local politicians would like to run for the offices these politicians will likely vacate. Seems tailored to their skills and moral fiber.:devil:

[rpschutt]

The list. (Perhaps we'll have one in Jacksonville before long.)

Lawmakers Being Investigated

Jul 31 03:28 PM US/Eastern
By The Associated Press

Members of Congress recently under scrutiny by federal authorities:
___

Senate Republicans:

_Ted Stevens of Alaska, sixth term. Stevens is under a federal investigation for his relationship with Bill Allen, an oil field services contractor who was convicted this year of bribing state lawmakers. Agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service searched the senator's Alaska home on Monday.

___

House Republicans:

_Don Young of Alaska, 18th term. Young is under federal investigation as part of an ongoing corruption probe, according to a federal law enforcement official. Part of the Young investigation involves his campaign finance practices.

_John Doolittle of California, ninth term. The FBI in April searched his home in Oakton, Va., where his wife Julie ran a bookkeeping and event-planning business. Among her clients was now-jailed GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

_Jerry Lewis of California, 15th term. Prosecutors are examining his dealings with lobbyists and contractors during the time he chaired the House Appropriations Committee.

_Gary Miller of California, fifth term. FBI agents have interviewed officials in two towns that purchased property from Miller about the nature of the transactions and the tax implications. Miller denies any wrongdoing and says FBI agents have not contacted him.

_Rick Renzi of Arizona, third term. FBI agents recently raided his wife's insurance business amid reports that Renzi paid substantial back taxes to settle charges that his businesses improperly paid for his first congressional campaign.

___

House Democrats:

_William J. Jefferson of Louisiana, ninth term. Awaiting trial in January on federal charges of taking more than $500,000 in bribes by using his office to broker business deals in Africa. He pleaded innocent in June to the 16-count indictment. FBI agents raided his congressional office and his home, where they found $90,000 in a freezer.

_Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, 13th term. Mollohan stepped down from the House ethics committee after federal agents began a probe of federal funds he helped steer to nonprofit groups he founded.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8QNORK00&show_article=1

[spidey]

Did ya notice our latest smilie emoticon? :jail:

Please don't anyone assume that I'm judging them guilty before they've been investigated, etc. :thinking:.

..I'm just pointing out a smilie that may be useful later on down the road.

[jbm32206]

All upstanding and innocent, I'm sure...

[jbm32206]

Did ya notice our latest smilie emoticon? :jail:

Please don't anyone assume that I'm judging them guilty before they've been investigated, etc. :thinking:.

..I'm just pointing out a smilie that may be useful later on down the road.

I've been adding some here and there...:hat's off: been looking for ones that I think might come in handy

[rpschutt]

Lol. I love the new icon.

Somehow, I don't think the NAACP will be rushing out to remind us not to judge Sen. Stevens before he's convicted. But, that's just a guess.

[Diane Melendez]

:giggle:Great job Joan!!!! I love the new smiles!!!

Now as far as judging guilty and being politically correct...well.....I think they are probably guilty of what has been discovered and of a whole lot more than people will never find out about. Go directly to :jail: . Do not pass go and they sure as hell aren't gonna collect $200.00.

[rpschutt]

Testimony: Sen. Stevens' Son Took Bribes
By DAN JOLING
The Associated Press
Thursday, September 13, 2007; 11:06 PM


ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The former head of an oil field service company admitted Thursday in court that he bribed three Alaska legislators, including the son of a U.S. senator who is the target of a federal investigation.

Former VECO Corp. CEO Bill Allen, 70, testified Thursday in the federal corruption trial of former state House Speaker Pete Kott. Allen and a former company vice president, Rick Smith, have pleaded guilty to bribing lawmakers, and await sentencing.

Allen said he bribed Kott, former state Senate President Ben Stevens and former Rep. Vic Kohring. He also testified that he recruited Stevens in 1995 for work on behalf of VECO, well before Stevens was appointed to the state Senate in 2002, and that Stevens maintained a consulting contract with the company through 2006.

Stevens, the son of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, is under federal investigation but has not been charged.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/13/AR2007091301889.html

[Charles Hunter]

More on the Florida connection - the MPO that rejected Stevens' earmark for an interchange is going to rescind that vote (http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/sep/04/mpo_consider_rescinding_vote_return_tainted_money/). Just a procedural thing, it looks like they neglected to give proper notice before the earlier vote, and they will re-reject the "tainted money" later.