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Stevens Claims Smear Campaign by Prosecution
Attorneys for Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) fought back Monday after prosecutors filed a discovery motion that hinted at possible quid pro quos between Stevens and VECO executives.
"The government wishes to smuggle in suggestions of bribery and corruption that it has not charged and cannot prove," Stevens' attorneys wrote in their motion. Stevens is charged with making false statements for failing to mention over $250,000 in gifts on his Senate disclosure forms -- not with taking bribes.
From the AP:
Prosecutors also want to present somewhat unrelated evidence that they believe shows the Alaska senator got a sweetheart condominium deal, his daughter got a discounted car and his son got a job from VECO.In court documents filed Monday, Stevens suggested the Justice Department was making accusations haphazardly, hoping to damage his reputation at trial. Those accusations have nothing to do with the crime he's charged with, attorneys said.
"They are an obvious attempt to smear the Senator's character," defense attorneys wrote, adding later that the Justice Department was "continuing its assault on the senator's family."
Um, Uncle Ted? That's what prosecutors are suppose to do. This would be a good time to invoke your right ot remain silent.
August 26, 2008 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
EVERYBODY knows that the character of any politician cannot be impugned.
Like Ted, they are as pure as the driven snow.
However, as any Inuit will tell you there are many kinds of snow and a large vocabulary to try to capture it's incarnations. They aren't all clean.
August 26, 2008 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Watch out where the huskies go, don't you eat that yellow snow.
August 26, 2008 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is it just me, or is he looking more and more like Grandpa Simpson?
August 26, 2008 2:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, it's not just you, he is looking more like Grandpa Simpson.
August 26, 2008 2:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't the definition of a bribe "Taking gifts in return for doing favors?"
When isn't a bribe a bribe?
Although, one cannot blame Senator Stevens, the whole process of "Campaign Contributions" by corporations to all Senators and Representatives is in reality a system of bribes and all Senators and Representatives are equally guilty of accepting those "bribes".
.
August 26, 2008 2:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's not a bribe if he would have voted that way regardless of 'gifts'.
Rememeber: Alaska only has about 700k people. It's a very very 'small state' in that respect.
Ask yourself, if your 'friend' and/or associate had experience in managing complex construction projects (i.e. the lifting of a house to add a new ground floor) would you have just any joe-shmoe handyman/construction service do it?
It would be a bribe if Stevens had his house in Girdwood improved and THEN sold it for the newly appraised value - effectively profiting from the entire project.
Think about it, Stevens is being taken to trial for SPENDING money - NOT making it via a real estate sale. He spent over $100k to have his house improved and DIDN'T sell it at the height of the market here?
My my, what a crook indeed.
August 27, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink