lily
09-22-2007, 03:58 AM
Sweet irony (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/20/AR2007092002482.html?wpisrc=newsletter)
Alaska Senator's Calls Were Secretly Taped
Recorded Conversations Between Stevens, Businessman Part of Public
Corruption Probe
By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 21, 2007; Page A10
An Alaska oil contractor cooperated with the FBI by tape-recording phone
calls with Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) as part of a public corruption
investigation, a source familiar with the probe said last night.
The recordings done by former Veco Corp. chief executive Bill Allen mean
that Stevens, who is the longest serving Republican in the Senate, was under
scrutiny by the FBI much earlier than June, when the senator first
acknowledged publicly that he was a subject of FBI inquiries.
Details about the recorded conversations between Allen and Stevens are
unclear, including how many calls were taped, when they occurred and what
information was gleaned from them.
The recordings were first reported by the Associated Press, which cited two
people close to the case who spoke on the condition of anonymity. A source
familiar with the investigation who confirmed the AP report last night also
declined to be identified because the investigation is continuing.
Allen, 70, is a longtime political ally of Stevens who has pleaded guilty to
bribery and is one of the federal government's key witnesses in an ongoing
corruption prosecution of Alaska state legislators. Allen testified that he
paid his employees to undertake a large-scale renovation of Stevens's house
in the resort town of Girdwood.
FBI agents raided the house in July. Stevens has denied wrongdoing and has
said he will not discuss details to avoid influencing the investigation.
FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said last night that the bureau "will not
discuss any aspect of this" and referred questions to the Justice
Department. Officials there also declined to comment.
As part of an ongoing federal trial of former Alaska House speaker Pete Kott
in Anchorage, Allen testified last week that he called several people at the
FBI's behest.
"It's been a lot of work," Allen said, referring to the assistance he gave
the FBI.
As part of its sprawling investigation into public corruption in Alaska, the
FBI recorded thousands of conversations between Allen and another Veco
executive, Rick Smith, and videotaped meetings between legislators and
contractors at a hotel suite.
Allen admitted in testimony last week that he bribed three Alaska state
lawmakers, including Stevens's son, former state Senate president Ben
Stevens. The younger Stevens is also under scrutiny by the Justice
Department.
Allen testified that the FBI promised not to indict his children if he
cooperated with them. The deal was struck on Aug. 30, 2006, a day before
agents conducted raids targeting Veco and half a dozen state legislators.
In addition to the work done on Ted Stevens's house, a former Veco employee
testified last week that company workers helped run the U.S. senator's
fundraisers while on company time, which might be in violation of campaign
finance rules.
Alaska Senator's Calls Were Secretly Taped
Recorded Conversations Between Stevens, Businessman Part of Public
Corruption Probe
By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 21, 2007; Page A10
An Alaska oil contractor cooperated with the FBI by tape-recording phone
calls with Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) as part of a public corruption
investigation, a source familiar with the probe said last night.
The recordings done by former Veco Corp. chief executive Bill Allen mean
that Stevens, who is the longest serving Republican in the Senate, was under
scrutiny by the FBI much earlier than June, when the senator first
acknowledged publicly that he was a subject of FBI inquiries.
Details about the recorded conversations between Allen and Stevens are
unclear, including how many calls were taped, when they occurred and what
information was gleaned from them.
The recordings were first reported by the Associated Press, which cited two
people close to the case who spoke on the condition of anonymity. A source
familiar with the investigation who confirmed the AP report last night also
declined to be identified because the investigation is continuing.
Allen, 70, is a longtime political ally of Stevens who has pleaded guilty to
bribery and is one of the federal government's key witnesses in an ongoing
corruption prosecution of Alaska state legislators. Allen testified that he
paid his employees to undertake a large-scale renovation of Stevens's house
in the resort town of Girdwood.
FBI agents raided the house in July. Stevens has denied wrongdoing and has
said he will not discuss details to avoid influencing the investigation.
FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said last night that the bureau "will not
discuss any aspect of this" and referred questions to the Justice
Department. Officials there also declined to comment.
As part of an ongoing federal trial of former Alaska House speaker Pete Kott
in Anchorage, Allen testified last week that he called several people at the
FBI's behest.
"It's been a lot of work," Allen said, referring to the assistance he gave
the FBI.
As part of its sprawling investigation into public corruption in Alaska, the
FBI recorded thousands of conversations between Allen and another Veco
executive, Rick Smith, and videotaped meetings between legislators and
contractors at a hotel suite.
Allen admitted in testimony last week that he bribed three Alaska state
lawmakers, including Stevens's son, former state Senate president Ben
Stevens. The younger Stevens is also under scrutiny by the Justice
Department.
Allen testified that the FBI promised not to indict his children if he
cooperated with them. The deal was struck on Aug. 30, 2006, a day before
agents conducted raids targeting Veco and half a dozen state legislators.
In addition to the work done on Ted Stevens's house, a former Veco employee
testified last week that company workers helped run the U.S. senator's
fundraisers while on company time, which might be in violation of campaign
finance rules.