Ted Stevens has been indicted:
Sen Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, has been indicted on corruption charges, CBS News has learned.
The FBI, working with an Alaska oil contractor, secretly taped telephone calls with Sen. Ted Stevens as part of a public corruption sting it was reported late last year, according to people close to the investigation.
The secret recordings suggest the Justice Department was eyeing Stevens long before June 2007, when the Republican senator first publicly acknowledged he was under scrutiny. At that time, it appeared Stevens was a new focus in a case that had already ensnared several state lawmakers.
The recorded calls between Stevens and businessman Bill Allen were confirmed by two people close to the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still under way. They declined to say how many calls were recorded or what was said.
Allen, a wealthy businessman and Stevens’ political patron, agreed to the taping last year after authorities confronted him with evidence he had bribed Alaska lawmakers. He pleaded guilty to bribery and is a key witness against Alaska legislators. He also has told prosecutors he paid his employees to renovate the senator’s house.
Sort of hoping this happened later rather than sooner, so no other Republican had time to regroup before November. The filing deadline was June 2, and this is the ballot for the August 26 primary.
This appears to be the applicable statute, and a couple of the Republicans on the ballot (Vic Vickers, and a self-financing millionaire named Dave Cudahy) seem to have some available cash.
McClatchy has more.
(h/t Adam B.)
Update: For those who can’t stand the suspense — yes, the winners of the Ted Stevens Poetry Contest we’ve been running will be announced soon. You can view the entries here, here and here.
Related posts:
- What, Ted Stevens Wasn’t Available for the Job?
- As Justice Stevens Winds Down, Will Obama Continue Court’s Trend to the Right?
- Is Sarah Palin Making a Sacrifice Play?
- Over Half of Blue Dogs’ 2009 Campaign Contributions from Health Care Industry
- Bush Officials Compromised Renzi Investigation for Political Gain
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Woohoo! says this former Alaskan…..
Poor Ted got his Toobz tied.
It is a truck!
It’s not a paddy wagon, it’s a series of toobz!
this might inspire a poem or two.
Yeah, baby!!
Yeah, where’s ET?
What always amazes me is how cheaply these bastards can be bought for.
Bring on Begich!
http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/19109
Okay ET just appeared. It looks like the finals of TedFest will be soon.
Could it really be worse for Begich to face other Republicans in the wake of this fiasco? Stevens still has AK political machinery and incumbency, two very powerful tools.
tawdry dreams, tawdry prices.
I suggest Tedward should act like his good friend, Senator WideStance and fight this tooth and
tailnail. C’mon, Tedly! You’re not gonna let some lawyers and activist judges bring ya down, are you?!? Fight on Ted!Can always count on FDL to give us the deeply gritty details. So there are six (6) other GOP Senate candidates on the 8/26 primary ballot in Alaska besides Stevens. Plus a Libertarian and an Alaska Independence party candidate.
Ted in headlights. No!
Toobz and trucks, VECO alas
We will miss tou Ted.
Looks like Ted may be going down the toobz. As Shakespeare wrote, “Too-bz or not too-bz, that is the question.”
Wait a minute. Isn’t Ted getting popped for something that happened last year. I thought DOJ’s policy was now, “Okay, stop doing whatever you were doing and DON’T let it happen again.”
Indictments? Those don’t really exist anymore, do they?
Any good Sen. Toobz and Sen. McSame connections or history?
Thanks Jane- great to get the scoop so early on the primary and statute.
You! We will miss you!
Preview is my friend, if only I would use it.
Ding, ding, ding..that’s right. As far as Mukasey is concerned, all our sins are behind us, right? Except if you are a Democrat…
Come on PUPS Digg this post!
It will be the first FROGMARCH of the new Season to see Ted taken away! Is it Rove’s Turn next??
Jane, now that Ted will have all that time on his hands, I think we should set up a ‘poem of the month’ club and send him something…just so he has something to look forward to…
Ted Stevens is one baked Alaskan. I wonder if he will regret voting for the FISA Amendments Act giving the government sweeping powers to wiretap Americans. Didn’t work out so well for you did it, Ted?
160
acresmonths for Stevens under the Homes (for) Ted Act.Why does it take so long to catch these criminals? Usually they plead to some minor thing and keep all their ill gotten wealth.
Good riddance Ted….
Should we send Sen. Stevens a black and white striped Hulk tie?
-G
“Ted Stevens is one baked Alaskan.”
HA!
so long, Ted. don’t let the floor hit you on the way down.
We been asking that down thread… Here is the link to his Blog http://progressivealaska.blogspot.com/ Nothing onb Ted yet but I am sure ET will have lots to say and celebrate when he posts an update!
done. And, considering that Stevens is just stupid and corrupt, I think a whole quantum leap level of indictment needs to be brought against Rove.
No ties allowed in the slammer.
The internet is a series of tubes and prison is a series of bars.
-G
Steven may well resign, allowing the gooper gov to name a replacement (I think)- that would give a leg up to a candidate in the primary and force the dem to run against an incumbent.
Too bad- the dem was up by eight points against Stevens.
The timing of this thing STINKS
Looks like DOJ is draggin’ its heels with the presser start time.
well, the bush doj stalled as long as they could on this one, but finally something happened. Meanwhile what- if anything- is happening on the Abramoff front? When-if ever-will DeLay go to trial, when the current generation has died maybe?
Stevens moves to the bottom of the pardon list.
These gooper criminals need only stall until January when Clusterfuck signs his blanket pardon of all republicans.
Fitz!
Why does it take so long? The Justice Dept. is still infected with Bushies. It’s amazing that it happened at all. Look for Stevens to attend Little Boots’ Pardon Party.
The timing of the announcement is suspect as far as I’m concerned. Had it been a dem they would have waited until a week before the Nov. election. Now the rethugs have some time to regroup.
Everything in this admin. is political. Everything.
Per Republican Senate caucus rules, if a member is indicted, he or she can no longer serve as chairman or ranking member of a committee.
Stevens is a ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
Here’s a little musical salute to “Mr. Series of Tubes” on the occasion of his indictment:
Tubular Boobular Joy
He just might end his misery with the tie… but maybe if it is made from paper??
It didn’t happen until Rasmussen broke a poll showing Stevens getting beaten badly- then justice strikes.
Stevens is arrogant and stubborn old man enough to try and ride this out. I’ll wait till he says ‘I quit’ before giving him too much credit for dealing with the reality of his situation.
Herez a t00bz remix
W00T!
Ted finally got a parking ticket, erm, wait, an indictment!
Sing Ted, SING like a bird!
More where that came from I’ll bet.
“The Justice Department has scheduled a press conference for 1:30 p.m. to announce the indictment.”
for et-one last celebratory poem –hey, have a new contest for the new developments!!
moral of the ted stevens story
if you’re looking for friends in ‘high places’
take heed when you look in their faces
if they squirm and ‘itch’
are talking ‘high pitched’
you might check just how
‘covered’ your ass is.
when giving you what you desire
those friends might be wearing a ‘wire’
they’ll move on to new friends
who can help them square-in
with the new folks
who now hold your ‘office’.
‘thugs tossing one of the aging of the corrupt herd to the wolves, hoping the rest of them will get away?
Michael Oldfield – Tubular
BellsJail Cells: let’s exorcise Ted.Man, how corrupt does a Republican have to be to get indicted these days? He must have been munching on baby skulls and lighting cigars with Bible pages to get prosecuted. Or maybe he was simply such an arrogant jerk that his party doesn’t mind getting rid of him. Or possibly his corrupt payoff demands irritated the oil industry.
I mean, it’s not like Law and Justice have anything to do with such things these days.
Goopers have many inducements to help him make the “right” decision- including the promise of a pardon in January.
Yep- that’s how it looks—put the dying old man on a piece of ice in the floe and give it a good hard push.
couldn’t have happened to a
nicermore corrupt guyDoj Stevens indictment presser starting live on CSPAN2 now
How pathetic is it to have this Neanderthal on the freakin’ Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee? Just shows you the contempt that Repubs have for science.
Perhaps Stevens will resign and the Republics will say something to the effect that there is honor among thieves on their side.
Stevens presser live on MSNBC, etc.
cnn live announcement–7 felonies
doj spokesman right now
too bad this won’t undo any of the crap legislation stevens has supported.
He’s finally going to get his “bridge to nowhere”
$250K
FDL could get a big scoop now with an interview with Stevens democratic opponent on how this will likely effect the race
So was this one of the USAs that escaped scrutiny by Monica? I’ll bet there’s lots and lots of back story here.
This is only about the freebies he seems to have “received” or perhaps “extorted” would be better. Am I mistaken that he is under investigation about bribery, influence peddling and several other matters?
Has anyone else noted that the new force of the DOJ is in cracking down on building code and building bribery? We have one in Ohio yesterday, and now Alaska today. Is this the new trend? Does it make the DOJ look as though they are doing something?
Ted has been indited for chump change… The Rethugs always over look the chump change they get and invariably it is what brings them down…
“and another one, and another one, and another one bites the dust!”
and? (breathlessly waiting)
Monica must be disheartened today that she missed one.
At least a very good look over the hand rail.
I think Stevens is too arrogant to step down. He’ll lose his ranking member status but will stay to “fight these political charges and clear my good name.” *gag* *heave*
It’s now the Bridge Over the River Cry. WAHHHH!
Indicted for “chump change” just shows the level of depravity and greed of your “good” Republican.
He’ll do what Clusterfuck TELLS him to do- and LIKE it- he’s a fuckin GOOPER (who wants a pardon).
So Monicagate yesterday. Toobzgate today. Could we have one of these every day between now and the election, please?
What’s on the menu for tomorrow?
At least we know where the “bridge to nowhere” leads to, Federal prison.
works for me.
Gonna take this CD to work and drive the Rethugs crazy with it this afternoon. Can’t wait to see the first pix of a handcuffed Stevens.
Teddy may want to take the rest of the year off an do some fishing—an 84 year old guy headed for the pen has to be thinkin about catchin his last salmon
You’re right. Just saw they are indicting for the same charges as were against Scooter(lying to investigators) not the actual corruption. In Rethug logic, since Bush already set precedent pardoning Scooter for the same thing, pardoning Stevens is ok.
The only pen he’s going to get is the one Bush gives him after signing his pardon.
CSPAN2 taking calls re Ted Stevens indictment
202.585.3880 Dem
202.585.3881 Rep
202.585.3882 Other
Justice!! A great day!
Chris Hedges just spent the last hour on the phone with our afternoon talk show host on community radio. Talking about the decline of newspapers and how the intertoobz are not their replacement.
True- I got carried away with the “old man and the sea” story line…
How much of this stuff do they have on McSame and who is he beholdin to?
Who pulls the strings
i missed that ‘one in ohio’, what was that?
OT: Yesterday Glenzilla posted the case for working to oust the Blue Dogs from Congress, and Ed Kilgore responded with the usual party orthodoxy. So today Glenn came out with guns blazing and kept on shooting, e.g.:
It’s a delightful read, if you enjoy the shredding of capitulationists as much as I do.
Redstate is demanding that he step down for the good of the Alaskan Repubs; that this is one seat that MUST remain in Republican hands.
And he was purchased for such a small amount. New cars and a Viking grill?
I think that he is so bullheaded and arrogant that he will end up fighting it tooth and nail to the end.
Fight on, Ted, fight on.
CSPAN2 also has a podium set up in case senators returning from lunch care to comment on the Stevens indictments.
It still remains to be seen whether any firepups will call in and read their ted poems on the air.
It will be interesting to see what Senator Stevens does now, and whether he decides to fight back with an eye on his political survival or the best interests of his family – at his age, he might be more interested in brokering a good deal for his son Ben, who is also exposed in all this and facing possible charges.
Places like Redstate make me sick. These rumors have been out there for months – why didn’t they ask him to resign then? All they do is posture with pretend outrage. Pox on them.
This guy’s 84 years old and facing jail time. He HAS no political future. NONE!
Only Democrats are expected to resign on rumors.
Stevens has no practical reason to hang on- he’s not going to be a senator after January- and there are probably 15 days or so left in the year when the senate will actually be in session.
Delay did.
Eau’d de Ted
Just got back from radiation
And imagine my elation
To get the word
About this turd.
Roll out the celebration!
Harry, Chuck and Dick clustered around the podium on the floor of the Senate. Joined by what looks like Lautenberg and 2 others I can’t make out.
Lots to talk about, huh?
What’sWho’s on the menu for tomorrow?Fixed it for ya. *g*
Yesterday the vote on Reid’s omnibus bill was 52 – 40 any one Know which repubs voted w/ dems & who didn’t vote
You know every cloud has its silver lining. With the spotlight on Ted, David Vitter is no doubt breathing a sigh of relief and feeling more comfortable in his diapers and Larry Craig’s stance is a little bit wider today. Bad news for some is not bad news for all.
Gordon Smith (OR) Norm Coleman (MN) John Warner (VA) as per Kagro X
The vote:
http://www.senate.gov/legislat…..vote=00189
BTW Jane,
I LOVE the title to this post, brilliant.
I hate to be a wet blanket,but wasn’t Tom Delay indicted for a bunch of stuff like,forever ago? He’s still walking around doing his thang(ick).
Froomkin’s back:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..inionsbox1
Thanks RevDeb & Hugh
But at least he’s not in the Congress any more. I would like to see Ted gone, too.
Deb, How are you doing?
OT: Adie left this post for you downstairs a couple hours ago:
Adie July 29th, 2008 at 9:27 am
If RevDeb shows up, could some kind soul please point her to the link below? Thanks.
We’ve got sick-kitty-duty today; and I’m sure RevDeb’s got worse in the aftermath of the UU tragedy. *sigh*
http://firedoglake.com/2008/07…..nt-1560451
Those aren’t bars on the cell, Ted, they’re solid toobz.
Do you get kicked out of the Corrupt Bastards Club if you are stupid enough to get caught?
I think that was a Texas state case
Waiting for Faux Newz to run the crawl “Ted Stevens (D) Alaska”
Bravo. Well done.
Don’t watch to long your liable to catch a case of the dumz
via The Hill
“I’ve known Ted Stevens for 28 years and I’ve always found him to be impeccably honest,” said Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa), who sits on the Appropriations Committee with Stevens.
Can we please indict Specter now?
Thought just crossed – Do the RICO statutes apply in DC
Arlen needed a better line than that. He lies with the best of them usually but that is just lame.
Nate at 538 on the political consequences of the indictment (the guy’s QUICK)
‘Senior Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was indicated today on charges of making false statements to a federal grand jury.
Does the indictment “virtually guarantee” a Democratic pickup in Alaska, as Talking Points Memo suggest?
No, but it’s fairly close. Alaska had already been changed from toss-up to “leans Begich”, and one cannot imagine that the indictment will help Stevens’ numbers in the polls. More likely, however, Stevens will either step aside or be defeated in the Republican Primary.
Against Vic Vickers, a wealthy jack-of-all-trades entrepreneur who has never held elected office but is prepared to do a significant amount of self-financing, our regression model suggests that Mark Begich would be favored by somewhere between 10-15 points, depending on how much money Vickers is willing to put into the race.
EDIT: This assumes that a more credible Republican wouldn’t enter the race. Governor Sarah Palin is a rising star and still might win it, but she is mired in a scandal of her own and, as the mother of five children including a six-month-old with Down syndrome, might prefer to stay in Juneau rather than move her family to Washington. Republican Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell is already in the midst of a primary challenge — attempting to unseat incumbent Dan Young in Alaska’s at-large House seat.
EDIT (2): As a commenter notes, Alaska’s filing deadline has passed, so the only way that someone like Parnell or Palin gets involved is if the candidate who wins the primary then decides to drop out of the race.”
There’s More…
Earthquake in Pomona CA – must be repubs jumping up and down in unison
Hiya, pups!
Is this indictment poetry, or what?
Once again, St. Ted has disrupted my plans. But, are we adaptable at fdl? Yes, we are. Dennis Zaki at Alaska Report and I are thinking of delivering the 121 poems from TedFest! last week, to Ted’s Wasilla Alaska legislative information office at 4:00p.m. today. They’ll be wrapped up – sort of like Hugh’s Scroll, but wrapped up from side to side, rather than from top to bottom. That way, they’ll form a nineteen-foot-long — (you guessed it, didn’t you) — TUBE!!!
Are we going to video the presentation? You bet…
OTOH, maybe we need to re-open the TedFest! contest for a couple of hours. He’s so inspiring.
Questions emerging – why I’ve been on the phone now for the pst three hours:
1) Does he have to resign from the Senate, or just from the leadership?
2) Will the certainty of a Mark Begich victory reduce voter numbers in August (our primary is the 26th) and November
3) Will that possible diminution of voters reduce the chances of Democrats from taking the US House seat from Young, or from taking over the state legislature, or for Obama winning in alaska – it is within reach, pups!
4) Wll this help the progressive and dynamc Diane Benson in her AK-AL primary race against Ethan Berkowitz?
Berkwitz has taken more money from Veco than any other Democrat now running.
Veco is the company named in the Ted Stevens indictment.
Berkowitz has also taken scads of money from Rahm Emanuel, several Fox executives, Bill O’Relly’s producer, Henry Kissinger’s main business partner, and the top two executives in the Carlyle Group.
It’s a long time coming but a good day for you, eh ET?
Great questions
1) As near as I can tell- Gooper rules require him to lose his ranking member status- but he will not be required to resign from the senate.
2)While Begich remains a favorite to win- it’s not a lead pipe cinch- one possibility is that whichever gooper wins the primary drops out allowing goopers to put in a fresh face in the general election- the gov and lieutenent gov have both been mentioned.
I have no idea on items 3 and 4.
We’ve worked hard to replace our corrupt bastards and DINOs, but the work is just beginning.
We have been waiting for you ET… Thanks for the update :>) Here is a little music for you and all your hard work: Celebration
Thanks Fractal. Followed the bread crumbs.
I still think the timing stinks. But WTF. The more the rethugs are outed as being corrupt, the more the dems—even the corrupt ones—look good.
As for Stevens, remember how long the guy from LA held out? And Larry Craig is still serving. I think Ted is too ornery to just take a bow and leave the stage.
And Sen. Inouye weighs in.
Remember the guy from New Orleans is still there too.
It all depends on whether or not the goopers are going to make a massive commitment to save his seat. If SO- then they may find it convenient to move Teddy out of the way. He’ll do as he’s told—all the leverage in the world just now for gooper authorities.
Because what’s more important than being a citizen or a member of the opposing party is belonging to the same club.
The capture of Toobz:
It don’t mean a thing
If it ain’t got that sting.
friends in low places.
The “no green bananas” club?
Good question, because it shows how much people trust Senate ethics. And Tom Delay is still at large.
I am sparring in my mind: which is more despicable Henry Kissinger’s main business partner, Bill O’reilly’s producer, Fox executives or Rahm Emanuel.
Shouldn’t there be a huge Blue America Benson fundraiser? Called “down the Toobz, make Kissinger/Emanuel/Fox mad, and contribute to Benson.” It would probably make Lieberman mad too.
I wish Ted Stevens inspired me, but I keep coming up dry. With Darth as an inspiration, the sonnets just pour forth.
well, we each have favorite ‘muse’
: )
Heh!
One of the people on the Blue America group is holding out on backing Diane Benson over Ethan Berkowitz because Ethan and Markos Moulitsas are BFFs
People of Alaska, buy all your politicians a Viking gas grill so as to remove temptation!
The thing I’d like to see is if/where there is any connection between Stevens, his oil friends and little Native Alaskan ‘corps’ with interesting business structures and HUGE contracts in all sorts of interesting fields..That would open up all sorts of windows.
Seriously? That’s messed up! How on earth did MM become friends with a guy who consorts with the likes of Emanuel, Fox news executives, Veco and g*ddess knows what else? Okay, what about Howie Klein? He hates Rahm Emanuel. And you must admit its a catchy fundraiser line, “Make Rahm and Fox news executives mad, give to Benson.” When is the date of the primary? If it’s August, that’s tight. If its three months from now, anything can happen. We’ve seen that with Lamont.