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2nd Strain of Probe Proceeds Far from Stevens' Sway
As the Anchorage Daily News reported yesterday, a federal grand jury has been investigating Sen. Ted Stevens' (R-AK) ties to the corrupt Alaskan oil company, Veco. Both the former CEO and vice president have pled guilty to corruption charges.
But just as surprising as the fact of the investigation is the location of it: far away from Alaska, in Washington, D.C.
The heavy lifting in the probe so far has been done by a grand jury in Anchorage, Alaska. That investigation has resulted in a number of guilty pleas by executives and indictments of state lawmakers.
But the existence of the second grand jury raises the question of why prosecutors split the investigation. ADN went to the experts and came up with a number of theories:
Legal experts in corruption cases said that while it's unusual for prosecutors to use grand juries in separate jurisdictions in an investigation, they may have sound reasons. The experts also cautioned that even though prosecutors may be presenting evidence to a grand jury, that doesn't mean crimes have been committed.Paul Butler, a law professor at George Washington University and a former federal attorney who prosecuted a U.S. senator and several FBI agents, said it could simply be a matter of convenience for witnesses.
Jules Epstein, a law professor at the Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Del., and a criminal defense lawyer, said the grand juries could be investigating separate, unlinked crimes.
Peter Henning, a law professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, said prosecutors might bring a case against a popular elected official in Washington to avoid being "home-courted."
Given that witnesses in the probe have been flying out from Alaska to testify, I think it's fair to discount the "convenience" explanation.
But that prosecutors might have chosen D.C. as the venue to make their case against Stevens -- and perhaps his son, Ben, a former state senator, who's been implicated in charging documents -- makes a whole lot of sense. There's simply not a more powerful figure in Alaska (or perhaps in the history of Alaskan politics) than Sen. Stevens, who's served in the Senate since 1968, and who even, back in 1958, played a role in shepherding Alaska to statehood while working at the Interior Department.
By bringing their case in D.C., prosecutors avoided the task of making their case in Stevens' backyard, where the vestiges of his power are everywhere. As the senior senator from the state, Stevens has traditionally even been responsible for tapping candidates for the local U.S. attorney spot -- though the Justice Department notably overruled the senator when appointing a replacement last September.
Prosecutors also avoid having to convince a jury full of Alaskans who grew up surrounded by landmarks named after Stevens, who's responsible for bringing back tens of billions of dollars to the state over the past forty years.
One of the lawyers involved in the case certainly thought that's what prosecutors are up to:
Penney's attorney, Bruce Gagnon, said of [Alaska businessman Bob] Penney's appearance before the grand jury: "I think you know as well as I do what they're interested in." Asked whether that was Ted Stevens and Ben Stevens, Gagnon said, "Yeah, yeah.""And why are they going off in Washington, D.C., as well as here?" Gagnon wondered out loud. "It may well be because they want to try this case back there."
Comments (14)
TheOtherWA wrote on June 19, 2007 12:40 PM:When the Alaska state lege offices were raided by the FBI last fall, the news reports were very clear that no one in Alaska was part of the investigating team. Everyone had come from DC and the Public Interity Unit (I believe) to keep ANYONE from tipping off the folks they were looking at.
That must be the case the DC grand jury is hearing.
TheOtherWA wrote on June 19, 2007 12:43 PM:Public Integrity Unit, is what I meant.
(A preview function would be really nice. Just sayin'...)
davcbr wrote on June 19, 2007 12:58 PM:Federal crime committed? How did Alaska's USA get his job? Possibly DC is more appropriate for the meriad conflicts
wind - as in wind bag
Big Mitch wrote on June 19, 2007 1:07 PM:Interestingly, the U.S. attorney was appointed when his predecessor was elevated to the bench (U.S. District Court.) Cohen, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska is from Outside. ("Outside" is the quaint term Alaskans use to refer to the "lower 48.") He was unknown in Alaska and our Senate delegation was NOT consulted.
Please visit the Schapira blog, "What we know so far ..." at http://schapira.blogspot.com
"... and tell 'em Big Mitch sent ya!"
Clovis wrote on June 19, 2007 1:10 PM:Senator Ted Stevens looks like the green character in Star Wars, "Yoda". Let's hear him yell, "NO!" again like he did last year when talking to Democrats on the floor of the Senate. What a crook!! Good luck to the prosecutors of this corrupt bag.
Ed*ard Teller wrote on June 19, 2007 1:11 PM:There's simply not a more powerful figure in Alaska (or perhaps in the history of Alaskan politics) than Sen. Stevens, who's served in the Senate since 1968, and who even, back in 1958, played a role in shepherding Alaska to statehood while working at the Interior Department.
While Sen. Stevens has brought in scads of Federal dollars, most would have gotten to Alaska had our senior senator been somebody else. Wally Hickel influenced the future of the state enormously by choosing to select for the state the land under which is situated the Prudhoe Bay oilfields. Jay Hammond fought many forces to create the Permanent Fund, which has brought my family at least $100,000 over the years.
Perhaps, after his and young Ben's notorieties subside, Ted Stevens will be remembered for his attention to the careful dismantling of old Soviet nuclear subs, and for providing employment for under-employed Russian nuclear and biological scientists during the 1990s.
Ed*ard Teller wrote on June 19, 2007 1:12 PM:There's simply not a more powerful figure in Alaska (or perhaps in the history of Alaskan politics) than Sen. Stevens, who's served in the Senate since 1968, and who even, back in 1958, played a role in shepherding Alaska to statehood while working at the Interior Department.
While Sen. Stevens has brought in scads of Federal dollars, most would have gotten to Alaska had our senior senator been somebody else. Wally Hickel influenced the future of the state enormously by choosing to select for the state the land under which is situated the Prudhoe Bay oilfields. Jay Hammond fought many forces to create the Permanent Fund, which has brought my family at least $100,000 over the years.
Perhaps, after his and young Ben's notorieties subside, Ted Stevens will be remembered for his attention to the careful dismantling of old Soviet nuclear subs, and for providing employment for under-employed Russian nuclear and biological scientists during the 1990s.
Llyonnoc wrote on June 19, 2007 1:18 PM:Perhaps with the powerful Senator Stevens it is more convenient that the grand jury take place in Washington DC under the close supervision of Attorney General Gonzales who probably keeps Senator Stevens up to date on the investigation. It is a sad day in American history with the way this administration functions because it seems the fix is in everywhere.
Tentakles wrote on June 19, 2007 1:44 PM:What happened to the "dyspeptic turtle" head shot of Stevens you've been using? This one is waaay too neutral.
Looking at the new one, I think "Hey, he could be somebody's kindly grandfather. Heck, you should see the two acre jungle gym his friends built for the kids."
az5762 wrote on June 19, 2007 1:51 PM:Is it too early for him to blame booze and head off to Betty Ford? I mean, that's the process isn't it? I know my post lacks substance and I just want to blow off some steam . . . In the greater scheme of things he is just another part of the Republican thug machine. I can't even begin to wrap my head around ALL the lies , theft, treason and incompetence. I don't like Republicans, but cheesuz, there used to be some of them with a sense of, oh, I donno, the rule of law. I just don't know anymore.
jolie wrote on June 19, 2007 2:05 PM:ted stevens is a series of tubes.
salmonshark wrote on June 19, 2007 2:58 PM:Any legal poindexters might want to order an
opening brief of Ninth Circuit Case # 05-35694.
I've been trying to get a Fishery Technician Job back after retaliation for being an ethics whistleblower . Ted is part of the collateral damage. The term "Ethics Crisis" first appeared in Oregon District Court.
Oh yeah, the incestuous relationship of the AK Democratic Party and the unions are part of the crisis.
Security code: RIGHT
Republican In Gooey Hot Tar
Got Feathers?
salmonshark wrote on June 19, 2007 3:03 PM:Oh yeah, the brief is only a couple dozen pages.
Security Code: RAIN
Real Alaskans Indict Numbskulls
justintime wrote on June 19, 2007 3:24 PM:'ted stevens is a series of tubes.'
jolie, you said it!
.