Sen. Stevens loses bid to move trial to Alaska

[babylonsister]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/244/story/49447.html

Sen. Stevens loses bid to move trial to Alaska
By Erika Bolstad | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — A jury in Washington, D.C., will determine whether Sen. Ted Stevens is guilty of failing to report gifts and home renovations he allegedly accepted from an oil services company and its owner.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan decided Wednesday that the trial will stay in the nation's capital and continue on its accelerated schedule. However, there'll be no sessions on Fridays so that Stevens can travel to Alaska to campaign. Jury selection is set to begin Sept. 22 and the trial will start two days later.

The 84-year-old Alaska Republican faces seven felony counts of knowingly taking home repairs and gifts worth more than $250,000 from the Veco Corp. and failing to report them on his annual Senate disclosure forms from 2001 through 2006.

Stevens' lawyers had argued that many of the witnesses are in Alaska, and that jurors should see Stevens' Girdwood home, where Veco employees, including Chief Executive Officer Bill Allen, oversaw renovations in 2000 that doubled it in size. They also argued that it would be disruptive for Stevens to have the trial in Washington while he runs for re-election in Alaska.

Federal prosecutors countered that holding the trial in a place where Stevens is campaigning for re-election could taint the home-state jury pool. They also argued that it was just as easy to hear the case in Washington.

Stevens asked for — and received — a speedy trial schedule so that he could go to court before the general election Nov. 4. He didn't attend Wednesday's court hearing, so he could remain in Alaska and continue campaigning. He faces six Republican opponents in next Tuesday's primary election.

[MorningGlow]

1. Oh, c'mon, Ted

There's gotta be a few judges elsewhere you can buy just as easily!
:rofl:

[NV Whino]

2. I think this qualifies as chutzpah

"U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan decided Wednesday that the trial will stay in the nation's capital and continue on its accelerated schedule. However, there'll be no sessions on Fridays so that Stevens can travel to Alaska to campaign"

:rofl:

Six Republican opponents... not to mention the Democrats waiting for him. :rofl:

[Geoff R. Casavant]

3. How does the primary look?

I have not seen any polls since the indictment was handed down. Are Alaskans still behind their most senior government crook?

[babylonsister]

4. Now 'leaning' Dem, it seems. Stevens’ Challenger Begich Shows Big Gains

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002937402

Stevens’ Challenger Begich Shows Big Gains
By Alex Knott, CQ Staff

While Republican Sen. Ted Stevens was fending off corruption charges last month his Democratic challenger was raking in big bucks. Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich raised $413,000 between July 1 and Aug. 6, according to the pre-primary report posted on his campaign Web site. He raised one-quarter of his total $1.7 million during this period and also reported nearly $462,000 in cash on hand.

Stevens, who was indicted on seven counts of filing false financial disclosures on July 29, has not filed his pre-primary report. It is due Thursday. As of the end of June, the Alaska Republican had raised $4.2 million and had nearly $1.7 million in the bank.

CQ Politics has changed its rating of this race from “Leans Republican” to “Leans Democrat” in light of Stevens’ recent troubles. Stevens, who is the longest-serving Republican senator, recently asked that the government’s case against him be tried in Alaska, a move the Justice Department opposes.

A July 30 post-indictment poll shows that Begich leads Stevens 50 percent to 37 percent with 11 percent expressing a preference for ‘other’ and 12 percent undecided. The margin of error was 4.5 percent.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

5. Thanks babylonsister, but I meant the primary on 8/26, not the GE

I think there's like five Repubs challenging him. Any word on that?

[babylonsister]

7. I haven't read any predictions yet; maybe in the next couple of

days we'll know something. I can't imagine actually voting for someone under indictment, but that's me.

[TlalocW]

6. I love it

The only bad thing both from an ethical point of view as well as a more selfish schadenfraude one is that when these scumbags are kicked to the curb by the voters, they will place the blame everywhere else but on themselves and their rampant abuses of power for 12 years.

TlalocW