lkmcgann July 24, 2007, 9:09 PM

The Wall Street Journal reports that 18-term Rep. Don Young (R-AK) is under criminal investigation for his dealings with Alaska oil services company Veco Corp.

While the investigation into Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-AK) ties to Veco, including the remodeling of his Girdwood home, has been widely reported, this is the first time Young has been implicated in the scandal.

It looks like an annual pig-roast fundraiser snared the congressman known for huge pork projects, including the infamous “Bridge to Nowhere.”

From The Journal:

For a decade, former VECO Chief Executive Bill Allen has held fund-raisers for Mr. Young in Anchorage every August, known as “The Pig Roast,” participants said. Public records show contributions to Mr. Young of at least $157,000 from VECO employees and its political-action committee between 1996 and 2006, the last year the event was held.

Mr. Young amended his campaign-finance filings in January to reflect $38,000 in payments to Mr. Allen, the former VECO chief. The refunds, which haven’t previously been reported, were labeled “fund-raising costs” in documents filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Veco has been the recipient of a variety of federal contracts, but it’s still not clear what the company would have received in exchange for all of its alleged bribes.

Don Young, Ted Stevens