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Stevens Gets Nods In Two Alaska Trials
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) is well connected in the state's scandal circuit. He came up twice yesterday in two separate Alaska cases, one criminal and one civil, that both hinge on the financial ties between public officials and company leaders.
In the favors-for-votes corruption trial of former state legislator Pete Kott (who dreams of a topless beaches and a Barbados prison gig), the FBI played a videotape of a secret meeting between Veco executives discussing Stevens' arrival, just in time to support legislation they wanted pushed through the state legislature.
In the grainy video, VECO Corp. executives Bill Allen and Rick Smith can be heard talking about how to ensure passage of an oil tax bill. If approved, the bill would increase chances that a natural gas pipeline would be built, a deal that could mean huge profits for VECO.Allen and Smith said they wanted to ensure Stevens was asked "good questions" that would steer him toward discussing the bill and the pipeline. The senator, Allen said, would make clear that "we need oil."
Meanwhile, Stevens' name came up again at a civil trial where a former contractor for Cook Inlet Region Inc., John Ellsworth, has been accused of illegally taking $40 million from the Native corporation. Federal prosecutors working on the investigation into Alaska political corrution subpoenaed some of the evidence collected against Ellsworth last year.
The company's former CEO testified yesterday and Monday defending Ellsworth's lavish spending on corporate jet rides for Stevens and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and trips to a Bristol Bay fishing lodge for politicians and their families. Stevens reimbursed the company for the stays in 2001 and 2003 after the Anchorage Daily News questioned the vacations.
"You've got to have those relationships to deal in business. It's not just about going out and bidding on contracts. ... You do have to wine and dine people," [the former CEO] said.
Comments (10)
Anonymous wrote on September 12, 2007 12:26 PM:
thomas wrote on September 12, 2007 1:00 PM:doesn't prove corruption or fraud only what we already know: Ted Steven's shit is treated as ambrosia in Alaska and most morons in power in Alaska ate it up
New Jersey got the headlines last week. Alaska's now on a comeback. How 'bout it Louisanna, Maryland and Illinois.
Grumpy wrote on September 12, 2007 1:07 PM:Oops, forgot about Diaper Dave Vitter getting new ink. But that's not for $$, unless someone else was paying the tab (???)
Why would Allen & Smith think that Stevens would need to be tricked into cheerleading the oil industry? And how does this reflect badly on Stevens in any way. His name "came up" because somebody mentioned it, not because he did anything.
Thompsom Memo wrote on September 12, 2007 1:29 PM:Senator Steven's name won't be challenged when you consider who the plaintiff's law firm is-Birch, Horton, Bittner & Cherot. Does anyone recognize Ted Steven's brother-in-law Mr. Bill Bittner in the letterhead? Besides, if it wasn't for a probable scenario of a roll call vote by CIRI's Board members than CIRI's case would've been settled and none of this would be in the press.
As it stands, invaluable testimony is being revealed as how Carl Marr's knowingly circumvented the internal control procedures of CIRI and allowed misappropriation of shareholder assets through AIC's partnership interest expense accounts. He refers to CIRI's actions as misguided; however, I'll characterize his actions not as misaligned, but as a cover-up for his corporate misconduct.
The days are gone when Carl could pound his chest and bully CIRI's minority board members (who acted as whistleblowers) with impunity. As it stands, CIRI shareholders have suffered from a fifty million dollar loss through their Las Vegas casino operations, left millions on the table when Carl sold Cook Inlet Energy Supply without a fairness or valuation opinion. The same Cook Inlet Energy Supply that Sen. Ted Stevens went with on a trade mission to China in 2006. And finally, Carl will have to answer as to why he let both his and Ben Stevens buddy Mr. Jim Jansen at Alaska Hovercraft have a bunch of hovercraft that Bering Marine is offering for sale at $2,500,000 apiece, as is.
So as Carl dissected CIRI's balance sheet and allowed shareholders assets to be pilfered though cozy personal relationships he should be reminded of The Department of Justice and its release of the Thompson Memo. Because I'll betcha that CIRI's current board members are certainly well aware of their duty to shareholders.
lysias wrote on September 12, 2007 1:58 PM:Alaska used to send people like Ernest Gruening and Mike Gravel to the Senate. What happened?
Grumpy wrote on September 12, 2007 2:38 PM:lysias... Gravel defeated Gruening in the 1968 primary, and Gruening's grandson defeated Gravel in the 1980 primary. So that answers that.
AK Raper #1 wrote on September 12, 2007 3:21 PM:There's a Clinton behind every Bush.
sitkajo wrote on September 12, 2007 5:52 PM:One of Steven's earmarks got lost and ended up here. In court!
http://newsminer.com/2007/09/05/8729
Anonymous wrote on September 12, 2007 8:02 PM:I see the photo was from the Department of Agriculture. I looked for it on their website (typed in "pork" in the search box) but couldn't find it. I guess I should have loked under "swine"...
Charlie Miller wrote on January 10, 2008 12:39 PM:One has got to admire "the Ells." He started out as a pump jockey in Juneau and when the local gas station burnt to the ground (where the 16 y/o John Ellsworth worked), the young lad was seen a week later driving a brand new Corvette. A new Chevron station was built immediately, by the grateful owner, with the insurance payoff. Coincidence? Later, as an oiler on the TAPS, he hoarded his dough and learned the oil & gas company system. Then he went up North and took over the biggest construction co. in state history, bilking Big Oil systematically by double-billing for fuel and sending his henchmen out under the cover of darkness to steal pipe, culvert, structural iron, re-bar, basically anything that wasn't nailed down. He would then sell it back to the incompetent oil company geeks (ARCO, BP...ugh) who never could find their ass with both hands. Still can't.
Another trick John used to pull was switching broken equipment from hard money to soft money contract jobs. Broken hard dollar equipment would stay broken until a soft (cost plus) job came and then would be taken out in the field only to have it "break" on the soft job, making the oil company think it happened on their nickel, consequently they picked up the tab.
Before Ellsworth bought AIC company, as the superintendent, he ordered all of their rolling stock (B-70 s, Euc R 35 s , etc.) to be fitted with new engines @ 25,000 each. Then he took them to auction in Fairbanks where he "bid" on them. No one realized they were close to brand new under the cowlings so his henchmen were able to get them for a song. But don't blame John for his success...he is just better at stealing than most. ANd he is a great money-launderer for ARCO, ConocoPhillips, Exxon-Mobil and especially those crooked Limey bastards, BP...yuck.
Now worth an estimated 100 million dollars, he and his wife (the "whore") Darrel (company pilot) and money laundering accessory, Cindy Scott,