Felonious Bill & Ted’s (Stevens R-AK) Excellent Adventure = The Dark Side

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure - By Tony Hopfinger
The dark side to Alaska’s political corruption scandal
http://www.anchoragepress.com/site/basicarticle.asp?ID=431


How an oil executive allegedly provided more than $150,000 in labor to renovate Sen. Ted Stevens’ house, then threatened to kill his own nephew over ‘some hillbilly shit’

When a key government witness testified in federal court this past fall, he hinted at a darker side to the political corruption scandal sweeping the Last Frontier — one with alleged blackmail and murder threats. The witness is Bill Allen, founder of oil contractor VECO Corp., who has pleaded guilty to federal bribery and conspiracy charges and is cooperating with the government. While testifying at the recent trials of two former state representatives he admitted to bribing, Allen accused his nephew — and former employee — of blackmailing him over VECO’s remodeling of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens’ home in 2000, also the subject of a federal investigation.

The nephew is Dave Anderson, a stocky man with a voice as rough as the Arctic oil fields where he once welded pipelines. As project foreman, Anderson has detailed knowledge of the senator’s home renovation, including that VECO provided tens of thousands of dollars in labor. This raises questions about whether Stevens was billed by VECO and paid for all of the work. In his first interview with a reporter, Anderson denies he blackmailed Allen and claims their dispute was over a woman. In 2004, he took up a relationship with Allen’s former girlfriend, who has asked not to be named in this story. The uncle was so angered that he fired his nephew, destroyed his Anchorage mobile home and threatened to kill him, according to Anderson and a series of letters he provided that document the feud. For the past year, Anderson said, he’s lived in a remote Alaska cabin, at times fearful for his life.

“This is some hillbilly shit,” he says. ........

In fall 2005, Anderson and Allen tried to bury the hatchet, drafting an agreement in which they vowed never speak to one another again .........

Top 10 Stories of 2007: Young and Stevens
by Bill McAllister - Dec. 28, 2007 - http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=7554683


ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The second biggest story of 2007, according to this news organization, involved the FBI probes of two members of Alaska's Congressional delegation, Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young.

The FBI raiding a sitting United States senator's home as part of a public corruption probe was a rare sight in the history of American politics.

On July 30, agents spent 12 hours at the Girdwood residence of Sen. Stevens. Weeks later, Stevens, a senator since 1968, downplayed the event.

"I've been involved in other investigations in my 39 years, maybe you don't know that, but I have been involved in them, and we weathered the storms," Stevens said on Oct. 28.

Stevens went on to say he was not certain whether he himself was a target in the FBI investigation.

But public television talk show host Michael Carey saw it quite differently.

"It seems to me, the federal government's message is clear: 'We're here to put Ted Stevens in jail,'" Carey said. "I don't think you can read any of this any other way. There's not going to be some apology if they get this wrong. I mean, this is a very serious matter. It's as serious as it gets."

According to anonymous sources in various media reports emanating from the east coast, the FBI is also investigating Don Young, Alaska's sole member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Stevens and Young, who face re-election in the coming year, largely have refused to discuss why they are under law enforcement scrutiny, ......

Stevens' aide Trevor McCabe investigated in Alaska scandal
By Dennis Zaki - July 31, 2007 - http://alaskareport.com/news/z46464_aides_stevens.htm


Roll Call is reporting that Alaska senator Ted Stevens' business partner and former aide, Trevor McCabe, is also being investigated for kickbacks in a widening corruption scandal.

So far the investigations have snagged two Republican lawmakers, an ex-president of the state Senate, multiple state legislators, and oil company services executives.

By John Stanton, Roll Call Staff - FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents raided the Girdwood, Alaska, home of GOP Sen. Ted Stevens on Monday as part of a growing corruption probe ............

The Alaska political corruption investigation
David Hulen and Rich Mauer - Dec 7, 2007 - http://community.adn.com/adn/node/112569


Overview of the key figures

A broad federal investigation of public corruption has been under way in Alaska for more than three years, although it didn’t become widely known until Aug. 31, 2006. That’s when teams of federal agents executed search warrants at the offices of six state legislators and elsewhere around the state. The government has since brought indictments and won three guilty verdicts from juries and several guilty pleas.

The investigation continues, with grand juries hearing secret testimony in Anchorage and Washington, D.C.

In July, federal agents searched the Girdwood home of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, drawing national attention.

Authorities have said very little about the overall shape of the inquiry, where it’s headed or what’s being investigated. Here’s some of what’s known:

Who is conducting the investigation?

It’s being run by the FBI, the IRS and the U.S. Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section from Washington, D.C., which focuses on government corruption cases. Two prosecutors from the Alaska U.S. Attorney’s Office have been assigned to the effort.

Tried and convicted ......

politics, so I have no idea how it is playing there.

Story of the year - Corruption trials, hands down -- or hands out
Dec 30 2007 - http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/story/250056.html


Political corruption is Alaska's story of the year. It has no competitor. In 2007, three former legislators received prison sentences, as did one lobbyist. Two influential corporate leaders -- Veco's Bill Allen and Rick Smith -- await sentencing, and one former legislator awaits trial.

Meanwhile, Sen. Ted Stevens is under investigation and Rep. Don Young is spending several thousand dollars a day on criminal defense lawyers. He won't say why.

This is the largest political corruption scandal in the history of Alaska, and there's enough talk about further indictments to suggest political corruption could be the story of the year in '08. ....

The Legislature has numerous rules to guide lawmakers' conduct while campaigning, in committee and on the floor. At the same time, the Legislature operates on the honor system. Lawmakers are expected to have a conscience and respect the public interest. If they are prepared to break the law, no statute will stop them. Law can go only so far as a substitute for integrity -- as the story of the year demonstrates.

BOTTOM LINE: Corruption trials were the story of 2007 and may qualify in '08 too.

dominate the stories in 08 in Alaska.

Young is of interest in the Abramoff bribes probe too. Only Conrad Burns got the polite 'you are no longer a target' leak. Cunningham and others also of interest there.

Don Young, especially, as he has two very strong Democratic opponents, either one of which could take him out if the election were held today. Ted's going to be a tougher nut to crack, because in reality he has done a lot for the state (while enriching himself in the process, sadly). He is more vulnerable than he has ever been though since I've been here (1975).

glad to hear that the stories are turning the public sentiment against at least Young, if not also Stevens.

We need to take this inquiry to the national level.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2328843