Sen. Stevens Verdict: Guilty on All 7 Counts
Ted Stevens, the Senate’s longest-serving Republican, was found guilty today by a federal jury on all seven counts in a corruption case.
After the almost unprecedented criminal conviction of a sitting U.S. senator, it will be up to Alaska voters to decide whether to re-elect the 84-year-old Stevens, who has been in the Senate since 1968, writes McClatchy Newspapers. The first sitting senator convicted since 1981, he is the fifth ever to be convicted, according to the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.).
“The verdict came after more than three weeks of testimony, the highlight of which was Mr. Stevens making the calculated risk of taking the witness stand in his own defense,” reports the New York Times.
The charges relate to gifts Stevens allegedly didn’t report, including home improvements, from an Alaska oil services company and others, as discussed in earlier ABAJournal.com posts.
The Times writes that Stevens is virtually certain to appeal his conviction, and that his supporters are likely to “explore the possibility” of obtaining a pardon from President George W. Bush before a new president takes office in January.
The Anchorage Daily News article about Stevens’ conviction today also provides links to the newspaper’s earlier coverage and other materials about the case.
Additional coverage:
The Hill: “Stevens guilty of felony charges”
Washington Post: “Sen. Ted Stevens Convicted of All Charges in Corruption Case”
Department of Justice: “U.S. v. Theodore F. Stevens”
