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Allen Admits Veco Employees Worked on Stevens' Home Renovation
It's getting juicy up in Alaska, as former Veco CEO Bill Allen testified again today. From the AP:
Under cross-examination by defense attorney James Wendt, representing former state Rep. Pete Kott, Allen acknowledged that the more than $400,000 he admitted spending in the bribery charge was for other legislators - and including for work done at the Girdwood, Alaska, home of Stevens, the longest serving Republican in the U.S. Senate."I gave Ted some old furniture," Allen said. "I don't think there was a lot of material, There was some labor."
The workers were VECO employees, probably one to four at a time, Allen said. He said the work on the home lasted for "probably a couple of months." Later, he said it might have been as much as six months.
Maybe Stevens wasn't getting all of his bills, after all?
Update: Bill Allen testified that Veco actually paid for some of the work. Rich Mauer at the Anchorage Daily News reports live from the courtroom:
Wendt: “There wasn’t a lot of material … but you paid some labor bills that went into Sen. Stevens’ house?”Allen: “Yes.”
Allen said it the labor was from Veco employees.
Update: To clarify, according to Bill Allen's plea deal, he admitted to giving more than $400,000 worth of "illegal benefits" to politicians and their families.
Josh
Zachary
But did Sen Stevens do any toe-tapping? If not, he should be vigorusly defended!
September 14, 2007 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
ruh-roh.
September 14, 2007 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I gave Ted some old furniture," Allen said. I don't know know what's worse for a US Senator, getting caught taking bribes, or getting caught taking bribes in the form of 'old furniture'. Have you at long last Senator, no taste?
September 14, 2007 3:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ted Stevens office is in the same building. So does Patriot Act US Attorney Nelson Cohen. Small town, FBI across the street. How convenient when it becomes handcuff time.
Then again Bill Allen and the judge John Sedwick live right across the street from each other.
September 14, 2007 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
What, no diapers? Oh, wrong Republican Senator. Nevermind!
September 14, 2007 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I suspect "old furniture" here may be synonymous with pricy antique furniture. Ted didn't go through six months of renovations to decorate the house with some furniture Allen picked up at rummage sales.
September 14, 2007 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Central Square:
Old furniture in these parts means antiques. Expensive antiques.
September 14, 2007 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, take it "Antique Roadshow" and I'll bet it's a "national treasure."
September 14, 2007 4:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
How does this fit in with Duke Cunningham's antique commode... and Senator Craig's wide stance... and.. there's gotta be a joke here somewhere
September 14, 2007 4:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
LIBERAL MEDIA!! ACTIVIST JUDGES!! PARTISAN JURY!!
September 14, 2007 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
no comment Ted. Just one word sleaze, criminal or disgraceful, take your pick they all fit you and the thugs called Republicans.
The Republicans are building a long lasting legacy:
The party of crimes,homosexuals, perverts, cheats. Did I miss anything? Oh yeah, I forgot incompetents.
September 14, 2007 4:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Six months? You can build a mansion in six months. Some work, indeed. That must have been some work if it took six months to do the renovations and drop off some "old furniture."
I think we're probably talking more in the range of Italian marble countertops, Gone with the Wind staircases, and genuine elephant ivory toilet bowl brushes, than some kind of Bob Villa This Old House renovations.
September 14, 2007 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Old furniture, old wine, old paintings, old cars, and old coins; just stuff that would have gotten thrown away otherwise, I'm sure.
September 14, 2007 4:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
that is the ugliest tie i have ever seen.
September 14, 2007 4:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
The antique furniture came from our erstwhile ally in Iraq, the nation of Tonga.
September 14, 2007 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
...Yeah, just some old crap that Allen found by the curb on trash day. Or maybe he found it on Anchorage FreeCycle. Hell, he was doing a civic duty! And Stevens is obviously environmentally conscious, recycling and all. I mean, shoot, doesn't everyone throw out old Windsor chairs and stuff after 200 years in the family?? Everyone's gotta upgrade to Ikea eventually.
Effin' liberals. Ted Stevens is one of yours, obviously. That "bridge to nowhere"? Hell, he probably needed some easy way to transport the pot he was growing off of the island.
Security code: cloth, as in, your liberal media is spinning BS into whole liberal cloth.
September 14, 2007 6:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
And now, Senator Stevens... your consequences ARE...
Full retirement for life with medical benefits and franking priveledges (he'll pick up his 10 million free postage stamps within the alloted time period upon leaving... and...
an agent for his upcoming speaking engagements, a ghostwriter for his new book... oh... and don't forget the new consulting job at Veco...
Sure would be nice if our new congress who promised to blah...blah....blah... would revoke the retirements of these crooks after they have been caught. I hate to be forced into paying for someone to rip me off for 30 years and then made to also pay his/her retirement after discovered...
(when he is found guilty, do you suppose he will be required to remove the new floor addition to his home?)
September 14, 2007 7:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
His home (the one worked on by VECO) will become the property of the federal government via forfeiture if there is a conviction. Remember the government's sale of the toys that once belonged to the Dukester?
September 14, 2007 7:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
brendancalling
I know ugly ties, I have worn ugly ties, you sir have not seen a truly ugly tie.
September 14, 2007 9:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
At least the good old boys aren't literally running plantations and screwing the slaves anymore. I mean, things are improving right?
September 15, 2007 6:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
lots of scorced earth behind good 'ol boys in alaska
karma is a bitch
September 15, 2007 8:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
I hear the renovation was a little unusual in that they lifted the house and built a level beneath the existing structure. Not your typical add a room renovation. As a builder I will tell you this is a very involved operation and I wouldn't expect it to be less than a 6 month job.
September 15, 2007 10:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey optimism.....uh I hate to rain on your parade but.....http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2782502.ece
September 15, 2007 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey brendon - Tis not an ugly tie by any stretch. Now the two toned shirt sucks, but I've got plenty of uglier ties than this. I wouldn't mind that tie in my closet.
September 17, 2007 6:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
anybody listening at the muck??
According to AP, Alaska has 3 senators!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/17/washington/17alaska.html
"VECO helped organize fund-raisers for Senator Don Young, who has also come under scrutiny in the investigation."
They are not alone. Google alaska "senator don young" : 238 references to him.
September 17, 2007 8:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Old Furniture" = expensive antiques, more than likely.
September 17, 2007 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
In this photo, poor Senator Stevens looks like he is having chest pains. It's hard when you get caught lying when you thought you had the Senate seat for life.
Old furniture, really turns out to be jacking the first floor up so they could build a new level on his "vacation" home. Throw the bum in jail where he belongs. These sleazy Republithugs make me S I C K.
September 17, 2007 7:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
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December 20, 2007 7:38 AM | Reply | Permalink