Tuesday, July 29, 2008
baked alaska
sen. ted "bridge to nowhere" stevens has been indicted. mcclatchey:
readers of this space also recognize sen. stevens as a staunch opponent of net neutrality, the man who described the web as "a series of tubes."
(thanks to firedoglake and memeorandum for the links!)
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 for failing to disclose more than $250,000 worth of gifts that he received from businessmen who were seeking his help on federal issues and projects.
the seven-count indictment charges stevens with making false statements by failing to disclose things of value he received from the veco corp., an alaska-based oil services compmany, and from its ceo, bill allen, over an eight-year period.
the indictment charges that among the undeclared items were substantial improvements to stevens' home in girdwood, alaska; automobile exchanges in which he received new vehicles that were worth far more than the old ones he exchanged; and household goods, including a viking gas grill.
gas grill? we are above making the obvious senate-gas equvialency joke here, but apparently bill allen cooperated w/the investigation (presumably to cut a better deal for himself). cbs reminds us:the seven-count indictment charges stevens with making false statements by failing to disclose things of value he received from the veco corp., an alaska-based oil services compmany, and from its ceo, bill allen, over an eight-year period.
the indictment charges that among the undeclared items were substantial improvements to stevens' home in girdwood, alaska; automobile exchanges in which he received new vehicles that were worth far more than the old ones he exchanged; and household goods, including a viking gas grill.
stevens has been the subject of a wide-ranging investigation -- and with this announcement -- stevens becomes the highest level politician charged in the department's crackdown on alleged corruption, cbs news reports.
steven's home was raided by the fbi last year with investigators taking a close look at renovations done on his alaska home.
sen. stevens is known as the man who got pork for his pet project, the bridge to nowhere, a $223 million transportation project which connected ketchikan, a tiny alaskan town to gravina, a tiny alaskan island. the 2005 repubbblican congress defeated a concurrent measure to help hurricane-ravaged new orleans in favor of this bridge.steven's home was raided by the fbi last year with investigators taking a close look at renovations done on his alaska home.
readers of this space also recognize sen. stevens as a staunch opponent of net neutrality, the man who described the web as "a series of tubes."
(thanks to firedoglake and memeorandum for the links!)
enigma4ever, 5:57 PM PDT












( maybe he and Duke Cunningham could be bunkmates....)
( yippeeeee....)