Veteran senator's future on the line at trial

[WhiteTara]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The political future of one of the powerhouses of the U.S. Senate will most likely rest in the hands of a Washington jury that will begin hearing the corruption case against him Thursday morning.


True to form, Sen. Ted Stevens has not backed down from the legal fight ahead of him.

Political experts say there is little doubt that the re-election campaign of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, will be determined by the jury's decision.

snip

Stevens is charged with failing to report on his congressional disclosure forms renovations to his Alaska home paid for by the Alaska-based oil services corporation VECO and other gifts from the company.

snip

Stevens is not charged with receiving bribes, although prosecutors allege in the indictment that the senator "could and did use his official position and his office on behalf of VECO."

Known in Washington as combative and self-confident, Stevens has characteristically not backed down, maintaining his innocence and saying he paid for all bills related to the home renovation given to him. His defense attorneys pushed for a quick start to the proceedings, knowing that the charges would dominate the election campaign.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/24/stevens.trial/

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It gives me great pleasure in posting this article. This bastard (take a look at his mean thin-lipped face) sold out his oath to his country for a paltry $250,000.
Rot in jail you POS

[annabanana]

1. Did they have a hard time finding a jury? . . . n/t

[Historic NY]

2. Guess he won't be in DC.

[Doctor_J]

3. Between him & Young & Palin, Alaska is having a very bad year

Having an all-GOP government is a recipe for astounding corruption

[struggle4progress]

4. Stevens jury shows senator he's far from Alaska

... Stevens failed in his bid to transfer the trial to Alaska, where he has been a figure in politics for generations and where he is known fondly as "Uncle Ted."

Instead, he will face trial in Washington, where one juror after another said they knew nothing of Stevens or the FBI investigation that has swirled around him for more than a year.

In Alaska, where corruption has upended state politics, the FBI investigation has dominated headlines. Here, few jurors said they'd read anything about it.

Rather than standing trial in one of the nation's most reliably Republican states, Stevens saw the 11 women and five men jurors and alternates selected from a heavily Democratic district ...

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5je6Pw1sViz24JRo9F0PNhoqMtzTwD93D84TO0