MyDD :: Ted Stevens Has Been Indicted

Ted Stevens Has Been Indicted

by Todd Beeton, Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:04:01 PM EST

Last year Alaska Senator Ted Stevens' home was raided and his phone calls recorded -- he's been under investigation by the FBI for accepting bribes. Finally, the investigation has led to an indictment "on corruption charges," according to CBS News.

More as we get it...

Update [2008-7-29 13:17:14 by Todd Beeton]:Stevens has reportedly been indicted on 7 criminal counts. Authorities will hold a press conference at 1:20pm EDT. No word if Stevens intends to speak to address the situation.

Update [2008-7-29 13:17:14 by Todd Beeton]:Give Stevens challenger and Road To 60 candidate Mark Begich some love over at Act Blue.

Update [2008-7-29 13:35:6 by Todd Beeton]:Begich's chances are clearly best against Stevens, so the indictment today begs the question whether Stevens will be on the ballot come November. First there is an August 26th primary Stevens must survive. As of now, Stevens has six Republican challengers including one, Vic Vickers who will be running $410k worth of radio and TV ads over the next month in Alaska focusing on nothing but Stevens's corruption. If Stevens does survive the primary, however, he can apparently still remove himself from the ballot and be replaced via party petition. No new candidate may join the crowded August ballot, however, as the filing deadline has passed.

Update [2008-7-29 13:51:41 by Todd Beeton]:Press conference has begun. Indictment is on 7 felony counts of making false statements on his mandatory financial disclosure forms between 2003-2006. Indictment is HERE. He was required to disclose gifts of over $305 and failed to. The federal grand jury has concluded that Stevens accepted gifts from VECO in the form of renovations to his home and home furnishings without disclosing them. Total value of gifts from VECO exceeded $250k, which Stevens did not disclose under penalty of perjury.

Update [2008-7-29 13:57:21 by Todd Beeton]:Stevens will be allowed to turn himself in, he will not be arrested.

Update [2008-7-29 14:50:55 by Josh Orton]: Because John McCain and Stevens have disagreed on some things over the years, this indictment is good news for Republicans!!!

Tags: ak-sen, ted stevens, indictment (all tags)

Permalink :: 29 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: Ted Stevens Has Been Indicted (2.00 / 1)

Hopefully he won't be the only Republican criminal--but I repeat myself--running for re-election under indictment come November.

Proud member of the Wikipedia Generation of American politics

by BishopRook on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:06:47 PM EST

Alaska Senate Race Imperiled? (2.00 / 2)

I wonder if this affects the senate race up there.

Begich has been making excellent headway against Stevens in the opinion polls; this is surely a straw breaking a camel's back in terms of a possible resignation on Stevens' part.

And I understand that Stevens' has a well-funded primary challenger; a little money goes a long way in the Alaska media market.

If Stevens and Young make it through their respective primaries, those seats are ours....

I proudly support Barack Obama for President!

by Zeitgeist9000 on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:07:08 PM EST

Re: Alaska Senate Race Imperiled? (none / 0)

well I'm sure this affects the race one way or the other (whether Stevens steps down or not).

but if Stevens does bow out, I still think Begich has a great chance to win. It's not like Begich wasn't mayor of the largest city of Alaska and it's not like his positive numbers aren't pretty high.

by alex100 on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:40:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

yeah, I see him dropping out (2.00 / 1)

Think of Torricelli in New Jersey.

New Jersey politics and news

by John DE on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:08:22 PM EST

Bush Republican (2.00 / 1)

This Bush Republican was the senior Republican in the U.S. Senate, and the longest-serving Senator in the history of the Republican Party.

If anyone still believes Karl Rove has had a positive, long term impact on the republican party I would like to meet them. Bush republicanism is the crack cocaine of American politics.

Its all about pay for play with these guys.
Obama gets elected. They are over. Finito.

by Trey Rentz on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:08:31 PM EST

Re: Ted Stevens Has Been Indicted (2.00 / 1)

I have always had a soft spot for Stevens simply because of the Incredible Hulk ties. Hopefully he will wear one everyday at his trial.

Consider that everything which happens, happens justly, and if thou observest carefully, thou wilt find it to be so. -Marcus Aurelius

by Blue Neponset on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:10:09 PM EST

Re: Ted Stevens Has Been Indicted (2.00 / 1)

I love that I read about this on the series of tubes. You know, they're not like a big truck.

by Reaper0Bot0 on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:14:51 PM EST

Re: Ted Stevens Has Been Indicted (2.00 / 1)

No, you're right, they're not something you just dump things on, they're not a big truck. They're a series of tubes. And you have to understand that those tubes can get filled, and when they're filled up, what happens to your own personal internet?

Proud member of the Wikipedia Generation of American politics

by BishopRook on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:20:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I hope this is all over the series of tubes (2.00 / 1)

His candidacy is more like a bridge to nowhere than a truck.

The pebbles have voted and the avalanche has begun.

President-Elect "That One"

by Dracomicron on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:15:26 PM EST

No wait (2.00 / 1)

I have a better one.

His candidacy isn't like a truck, it's more like a series of tubes, and he's going down all of them.

The pebbles have voted and the avalanche has begun.

President-Elect "That One"

by Dracomicron on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:16:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

His tube just blew out..Mr. Stevens leaves (none / 0)

Washington..

by louisprandtl on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:25:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

In a big truck? (none / 0)

You knew it was coming.

The pebbles have voted and the avalanche has begun.

President-Elect "That One"

by Dracomicron on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:38:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

In a big Truck, there went Mr. Stevens to (none / 0)

where No Man had gone before...

by louisprandtl on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 05:30:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I hope this is all over the series of tubes (2.00 / 1)

Firedoglake had a Ted Stevens poetry slam a couple of weeks ago. I entered a haiku:

beaten up old truck
rides on the bridge to nowhere
in tow, the Google.

by semiquaver on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:57:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Brilliant (none / 0)

I like it.

In terms of "entertainingly batshit insane," Stevens is just barely edged out by Tom "bathroom lesbians" Coburn, but Stevens has the bonus of being corrupt as fuck, while Coburn seems like he's almost too honest. Of the two, I'd rather see Stevens get the boot.

The pebbles have voted and the avalanche has begun.

President-Elect "That One"

by Dracomicron on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 02:14:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Good riddance..let's pack all of these elephants (none / 0)

from Washington DC to Carson City, Colorado..

by louisprandtl on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:24:15 PM EST

Re: Ted Stevens Has Been Indicted (none / 0)

So, he has a primary challenger, correct? Any insight into how he does against Begich?

by NewOaklandDem on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:29:39 PM EST

Re: Ted Stevens Has Been Indicted (none / 0)

This is bad in the sense of timing. October or Sep would have been better.

by bruh3 on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:33:57 PM EST

I'm okay with it (2.00 / 1)

From a purely partisan perspective, you're right, but if an anti-corruption primary challenger beats him, then I think we're all a little better off in the long run.

We need Republicans to (eventually) start becoming a principled opposition party, lest Democrats become complacent and lazily corrupt, like they were in '94.

The pebbles have voted and the avalanche has begun.

President-Elect "That One"

by Dracomicron on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:42:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I'm okay with it (none / 0)

That won't happen this cycle. The way that happens is their utter defeat with no question marks.

by bruh3 on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 02:23:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ted Stevens Has Been Indicted (none / 0)

Best news in a long time. Could he just resign and appoint someone...just wondering.

Or he could pull a Craig resign...

by lja on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:34:47 PM EST

He could resign and have the (none / 0)

Governor appoint someone, but she'd probably have to pick from those running in the primary now, otherwise it's just a seat-holder.

However, he's pretty stuborn and probably won't do it.

"No government has the right to tell its citizens whom to love. The only queer people are those who don't love anybody." - Rita Mae Brown

by auboy2006 on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 01:51:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

begs the question (2.00 / 1)

doesn't mean 'asks the question.'

/grammar police

by OtH on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 02:09:30 PM EST

grammar police police (2.00 / 1)

You've corrected semantics, not grammar.

by semiquaver on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 02:17:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Great news for all of us... (2.00 / 1)

...except possibly for the geeks like me who understand that logically, the Internet is a series of tubes (though technically, the geek term is pipes). I cringed as much as anyone at Steven's struggling to explain something he clearly didn't understand, but at least he actually was headed in the right direction.

Not that it isn't a good thing to see him go...

by fsm on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 02:21:23 PM EST

Yeah... (none / 0)

When I first heard it, I kinda wondered what the problem was... As completely misunderstanding as he was, "series of tubes" is a perfectly apt metaphor. The problem is that it's an awesomely steampunk visual right out of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or something, and highlights his age and lack of modern savvy.

So, no wonder the meme built up, ahem, steam.

The pebbles have voted and the avalanche has begun.

President-Elect "That One"

by Dracomicron on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 03:39:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ted Stevens Has Been Indicted (none / 0)

Ted "The internet isn't a dumptruck" Stevens. This indictment couldn't come fast enough... this guy is pure slime. I mean the guy has a "charity" that exists solely to educate the public about himself run by his old treasurer. This is like an early Christmas present.

And so, may evil beware and may good dress warmly and eat lots of fresh vegetables.

by thatpurplestuff on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 02:33:18 PM EST

EARTHQUAKE! (none / 0)

And I'm not talking Senator Stevens; we just had a 10-second one here in LA!

I proudly support Barack Obama for President!

by Zeitgeist9000 on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 02:46:01 PM EST

Re: Ted Stevens Has Been Indicted (none / 0)

It's worth surfing a few of the right wing blogs to get their take. Amazing, denying he's anything to do with them and screaming about Jefferson whose a minor punk by comparison with Stevens. It won't be long before Young gets his papers I'd say. These people have zero morality or even commonsense. The report on the corruption at DOJ was stunning but the take was, is, it was justified they all do it. So presumably they will have no problem if Obama staff Justice with a bunch of fervent dems who launch a mass of investigations of Republicans. Oh no that's different they say. These people truly are slime.

by ottovbvs on Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 03:03:53 PM EST

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