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Young Spends Big on Lawyers, Keeps Mum
We know that Rep. Don Young (R-AK) is under federal investigation for his ties to the corrupt oil company Veco. But that's about all we know.
It's clear, however, that Young has a variety of heavy-hitting lawyers working overtime. Just in the last quarter of 2007, according to his disclosures, he dropped approximately $331,000 for lawyers at Akin Gump and $75,000 for lawyers at the Anchorage-based firm Tobin O'Connor. And then there's $20,000 for a Seattle based attorney named John Wolfe (The Anchorage Daily News points out that Wolfe has also represented Sen. Ted Stevens' (R-AK) son Ben in an ongoing probe into corruption in state politics.) That brings Young's campaign spending on the lawyers to approximately $872,000 in the last year. He's started up a legal defense fund, apparently to accommodate a number of donors who'd like to help out even more.
Is this all related to the same investigation? Certainly with Young, there are plenty of scandals to choose from.
Young, in classic Don Young style, isn't saying anything.
Andrew Berger contributed research to this post.
Josh
Zachary
Also of note is this accompanying story in the Anchorage Daily News this morning:
I'd guess that this "subtantial amount of work" might have something to do with Ted Stevens, his son Ben, and perhaps Don, as well as several other state legislators and others who have been implicated, but not yet charged.
February 1, 2008 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
And there is also this news about Bill Allen, appearing in the Anchorage Press this week:
"Now, for the first time publicly, Anchorage police say Bill Allen's name came up in a separate sex-crime investigation in 2004....The substance of that investigation is raising questions about Allen's cooperation with the feds' ongoing corruption probe. "If the government has done things for Bill Allen in the past, I have the right to know about that," said lawyer John Henry Browne, who represents Vic Kohring.
Maybe that's why the feds want to delay Allen's sentencing
Story's at
http://anchoragepress.com/
February 1, 2008 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
He looks a lot like Ted Stevens, wonder if they're related or are all Alaskans taught that same long-faced scowling look. Someone should trademark it and make big bucks.
February 1, 2008 4:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is great to see corrupt officials spend all the money they stole on lawyers. I hope they all die penniless and homeless at the hands of their lawyers.
February 1, 2008 5:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whoa there, anonymous poster! All Alaskans aren't sourpusses or even sourdoughs.
Some of the most corrupt pols in the state (like anywhere else) have the visage of Prince Charming.
They only look dour when the jig is up.
Uncle Ted used to smile alot while the chinooks whistled between his ears and he was stuffing his pockets hand over fist.
March 17, 2008 7:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Young and Stevens are dead meat.... what can we expect?
March 18, 2008 5:44 AM | Reply | Permalink