Alaska's Republican Senator Ted Stevens has become known as the Senate's "King of Pork" for such outrageous earmarks as the "bridge to nowhere" that benefited only 50 people at a cost of over $200 million in taxpayer funds. Now, he may have to trade in his crown for prison garb, as the FBI is looking seriously into his relationship with another beneficiary of his generous earmarks. Erika Bolstad and Greg Gordon have the story for McClatchy Newspapers:
The FBI is investigating the National Science Foundation's award of $170 million in contracts to the oil field services company that oversaw renovations on U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens' home, McClatchy Newspapers has learned.The firm, Veco Corp., captured a lucrative five-year NSF contract in 1999 to provide logistics and support for polar research, although it had no previous experience in that field. During the same time period, Veco's top executive managed renovations that doubled the size of the longtime Republican senator's Girdwood, Alaska, home -- the scene of a July 30 FBI raid.
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Veco's founder and CEO, Bill Allen, pleaded guilty this spring to making $400,000 in illegal payments to Alaska lawmakers, including Stevens' son, Ben, who was then president of the Alaska Senate. Allen is cooperating in a sweeping FBI corruption investigation that also has led to the conviction of a second Veco executive, a lobbyist, and a former Alaska state representative.
Read the rest at the above link. Getting rid of Ted Stevens would be a net plus to the Senate and the country - AND the Republican Party, which followed Stevens and like-minded appropriators down the primrose path to perdition, culminating in the loss of majorities in the House and Senate last year.
In the end, it doesn't matter which letter a crooked politician has after his name. They all need to have a number instead.
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Filed under:
Congress, Republican, Scandal, Special Interest Groups
Tags: corruption, investigation, Senate, Stevens
Comments (1)
I would only argue with you... (Below threshold)1. Posted by John in CA | August 16, 2007 7:28 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
I would only argue with your assertion that Stevens is King of Pork. I think Robert Byrd still holds that title, though Stevens is no piker.
Pork seems to be an affliction the whole Alaska Congressional Delegation is afflicted with. I'm sure Stevens has set the standard for it.
The shame is, Alaska is a reliable GOP state, and this could set the stage for a democrat incursion. Hopefully this will be resolved and well in the past before the election in November 2008. Stevens is up for reelection in 2008. Maybe he'll do the smart and prudent thing and announce his retirement and allow the party to find a good replacement.
However, after watching Stevens' display on the Floor during the Bridge to Nowhere debate, I doubt he'll do the honorable and prudent thing. He'll maintain his innocence until the bitter end and drag the party down with him and probably cost us a Senate seat.
1. Posted by John in CA | August 16, 2007 7:28 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on August 16, 2007 19:28