US Senator Ted Stevens Investigated, Charged, Convicted and Verdict Vacated
Ted Stevens was also investigated by both the FBI and IRS. Authorities investigated an extensive remodeling project done at Stevens' home in the small town of Girdwood. Unusual aspects of this remodeling project that were investigated were that the project was supervised by VECO, and invoices for the work on the residence were first sent to VECO before being sent to the senator. Some of the issues investigated were the extent of work done on the home, exactly who paid the invoices from the construction contractors and their subcontractors, and the purpose and extent of VECO's involvement.
On the morning of July 30, 2007, agents from the FBI and the IRS raided the residence in Girdwood. Photographs and video of the inside and outside of the residence were taken. Wine bottles in the home were photographed as objects of interest. The raid continued well into the evening.
On July 29, 2008, just a day short of the anniversary of the Girdwood raids, Stevens was charged with seven counts of false statements involving VECO, the oil services company in Alaska, and the renovations done on his home.
Stevens was found guilty on all charges on October 27, 2008. Eight days later Stevens narrowly lost re-election to Democratic Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich.
On April 1, 2009 Attorney General Eric Holder decided to drop all charges against Ted Stevens after a review of the case turned up evidence of prosecutorial misconduct, including failure to turn over potentially exculpatory evidence to Stevens' attorneys. Since Stevens has not been sentenced, Holder's action effectively vacated Stevens' conviction.
Stevens died en route to a remote hunting lodge, in a corporate executive airplane crash on August 9, 2010,
Read more about this topic: Alaska Political Corruption Probe
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