Democracy for Vancouver

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the U.S. Senate and one of the chamber’s most powerful members, was indicted Tuesday in Washington, a result of a year-long investigation into corruption in Alaska politics.

The 7-count indictment comes nearly one year after federal agents raided Stevens’ home in Girdwood, a resort town about 40 miles south of Anchorage.
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A broad federal investigation of public corruption has been under way in Alaska for more than four years, although it didn’t become widely known until Aug. 31, 2006.
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The government has since brought indictments against five state legislators. Three have been convicted by juries and two are awaiting trial. Four others — two former top officials with Veco Corp., the former chief of staff of Gov. Frank Murkowski and a private-prison lobbyist - have entered guilty pleas and are cooperating with the government.

The investigation continues, with grand juries hearing secret testimony in Anchorage and Washington, D.C.

Federal agents searched the Stevens’ Girdwood home on July 30, 2007. Alaska’s sole congressman, Don Young, is also under federal investigation.

Couldn’t happen to a bigger prick:

• On a vote on drilling in ANWR: “People who vote against this today are voting against me and I will not forget.”

• Would not allow a vote on whether to have oil executives sworn in before their Senate testimony.

• On New Orleans after the federal flood: “Why would we want to rebuild these homes in an area below sea level?”

• On the Bridge to Nowhere, which the Senate decided to de-fund in order to spend more on rebuilding NOLA: “I will put the Senate on notice — and I don’t kid people — if the Senate decides to discriminate against our state and take money only from our state, I will resign from this body.” [Of course, he didn't.]

• Blamed former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel for the death of his (Steven’s) wife in a plane crash that also injured Stevens:

Stevens hobbled into a Senate committee hearing a couple of months later on crutches and in bandages. With Gravel present, Stevens raised the topic of his reason for flying that fateful day. “I don’t want to get personal about it,” he told the stunned audience, “but I think if that bill had passed, I might have a wife sitting at home when I get home tonight, too.”