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Veco Gives, But What Does It Receive?
Over the course of the federal probe in Alaska, it's become clear that oil services company Veco dabbled in shady dealings -- some connected to Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) and his son Ben, a former state senator. Two top executives, who've pled guilty to bribing state lawmakers, have also played general contractor for Sen. Stevens and doled out $240,000 in "consulting" fees to his son. Veco has contributed more than $70,000 to Stevens' campaigns over the years (making the company his second largest donor), and $25,000 more to his political action committee.
But what has Veco fetched in return?
As easy as it has been to document Alaska lawmakers who've fed their campaign funds and lined their pockets with Veco money, it's less obvious how the company has directly benefited in return. Here's a glimpse at what Sen. Stevens has done directly for the company. Back in 2003 The Los Angeles Times ran a story about family ties amongst lawmakers and corporations (via Nexis):
VECO had helped build a $70-million pipeline for Pakistan, but the government was slow to pay. As it happened, Pakistan desperately needed congressional help on a trade issue, and Ted Stevens was positioned to block the necessary legislation. Before long, Pakistan's representatives in Washington concluded that their trade bill would go nowhere until Pakistan settled with VECO and its partners. Pakistan agreed to arbitration. The bill sailed through.
Other clear cut examples aren't so easy to come by, but generally speaking Veco has done well for itself securing federal contracts. The company has won National Science Foundation contracts twice. One contract from 2005 was worth $100 million to provide" Arctic research support and logistics services in Alaska, Greenland, the North Pole, Canada, Russia and other Arctic locations." The company has also disclosed other lucrative-looking contracts, though the exact values are unknown.
The question is: How many of those contracts received the helping hand of Sen. Stevens?
Comments (15)
piggly wrote on June 19, 2007 10:33 PM:Josh:
A hard look at the Native Alaskan / American 8a corporations is in order.
These corporations act as shell corporations or pass through corporations which provide special no bid government contracting services at or below a set dollar amount.
The corporation usually consists of a mailbox or store front in Alaska. Little of no staff is involved.
The 8a rakes off a set fee usually 20 -30 % of any contract, then passes the contract through to a subcontractor.
So here's a set of corporations that does no work, provides minimal services (the services are provided by the subcontractors), and employs few if any native alaskans / native americans.
Things to check include who set up the 8a legislation, who the shareholders are, how many native americans / native alaskans are employed, and if the native americans actually benefit from these contracts.
I suspect Mr. Stevens may have a hand at this.
akgrrl wrote on June 20, 2007 2:04 AM:thanks for keeping this story alive! keep stretching its legs, i'm sure it's gonna take off. these guys are DIRTY, everyone knows it, we just have to find the pressure point and push hard.
Robin Boerner wrote on June 20, 2007 2:31 PM:Stevens, Young and Murkowski only are interested in certain constituents. I can't say exactly which constituents they deem worthy of their assistance as an elected official but this Alaskan 100% disabled veteran on the link at my name wasn't worthy of help from any of them. Lisa (my Daddy got me this job) Murkowski didn't even answer her mail for a year...then Uncle Ted lent her his copy and she sent the same exact form letter filled in wrong!
Patriot Act US Attorney can't or won't help when this vet got assaulted by a US Army thug and was receiving death threat emails in an effort to disrupt a federal lawsuit. I KNOW why Nelson Cohen couldn't handle the investigation of Stevens and the Public Integrity Section out of DC is. It's a no brainer after spending five minutes on the phone with him (and chronicled here on TPM). He is capable of an honest, forthright, unbiased investigation. With any luck the replacement we will get in 113 or so days that has to pass Democrat controlled confirmation will be a professional US Attorney and not a Bush Consigliere.
I guess we need to donate more....to the Democrats. Diane Benson is already running against Young...we need a good candidate against Stevens. And, not the equally corrupt Mayor of Anchorage Begich.
Come on Alaska, take your state back!!!!!!
Robin Boerner wrote on June 20, 2007 2:48 PM:
Scott_in_Sitka wrote on June 20, 2007 4:29 PM:Ha....that should have read IS HE...not HE IS....got to ask that question. IS Nelson Cohen capable of investigating the criminal elements of Alaska? Does his self proclaimed desire to move here and his loyalty to his announced benefactor, Mary Beth Buchanan, and those Bush loyalty oaths they made the Patriot Act USA's take make him too much of a legal whore to serve the public's interests?
Native Corporations in Alaska are far more than a storefront and a mailbox. They are the Alaskan equivilent of tribal nations, and they are governed by exlusively native directors elected by exclusively native shareholders.
Also, regarding subcontractors that are hired for government bids, this is a practice that should be reviewed in everything the government does. As Piggly's racist comments do not reveal, large corporations that are bond rated to perform multi-million dollar projects are the only entities allowed to compete for such. You need to point your ire on that point toward Bechtel and Halliburton, not the Aleut Corporation.
Whether you like Senator Stevens or not, you ought to do a little reaserch before you spew conspiracy theories on the internet. Or maybe from your perch on the Eastern Seaboard, multimillion dollar Native Corporation headquarters in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau could be quantified as little storefronts...
Scott_in_Sitka wrote on June 20, 2007 4:32 PM:Native Corporations in Alaska are far more than a storefront and a mailbox. They are the Alaskan equivilent of tribal nations, and they are governed by exlusively native directors elected by exclusively native shareholders.
Also, regarding subcontractors that are hired for government bids, this is a practice that should be reviewed in everything the government does. As Piggly's racist comments do not reveal, large corporations that are bond rated to perform multi-million dollar projects are the only entities allowed to compete for such. You need to point your ire on that point toward Bechtel and Halliburton, not the Aleut Corporation.
Whether you like Senator Stevens or not, you ought to do a little reaserch before you spew conspiracy theories on the internet. Or maybe from your perch on the Eastern Seaboard, multimillion dollar Native Corporation headquarters in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau could be quantified as little storefronts...
Former Alyeska Resort Employee wrote on June 20, 2007 5:46 PM:Senator Stevens also has connections to Japanese organized crime.
His home in Girdwood is located near Alyeska Resort, which until recently was owned by convicted felon Yoshiaki Tsutsumi. Tsutsumi is best known for former status of the worlds richest man, and for his connections to organized crime and the International Olympic Committee.
The Resort maintained Stevens yard and flower baskets, provided housekeeping services, food service, and security patrols. All these services were performed at no charge to the Senator.
anonymous wrote on June 20, 2007 6:31 PM:So Native corporations are shell companies with only post office boxes and no real Native shareholders? Wow. That NANA building and that CIRI building I drive by every day -- some pretty big post office boxes!
anonymous wrote on June 20, 2007 6:31 PM:I bet the Native shareholders of ASRC, NANA, CIRI and the other corporations would be pretty surprised to find out that they don't exist.
So Native corporations are shell companies with only post office boxes and no real Native shareholders? Wow. That NANA building and that CIRI building I drive by every day -- some pretty big post office boxes!
anonymous wrote on June 20, 2007 6:31 PM:I bet the Native shareholders of ASRC, NANA, CIRI and the other corporations would be pretty surprised to find out that they don't exist.
So Native corporations are shell companies with only post office boxes and no real Native shareholders? Wow. That NANA building and that CIRI building I drive by every day -- some pretty big post office boxes!
Anonymous wrote on June 20, 2007 8:52 PM:I bet the Native shareholders of ASRC, NANA, CIRI and the other corporations would be pretty surprised to find out that they don't exist.
Piggly is just plain wrong! Although there are some ANCs that behave in the way he describes, they are few and far between, and they don't last long with those kinds of ethics. The majority of the Regional and Village Corporations behave ethically and above-board as real organizations. I should know - I am employed by one.
Keith wrote on June 20, 2007 11:28 PM:Veco and it's employees should not be made to look like a bunch of criminals. The 2 people who are under investigation and have confessed are the only people who should be held accountable. I am currently employed by Veco and I am proud to be. I have not heard or seen of any wrong doing until I heard it on the 6 o'clock news. There are 4000 of us that are law abiding citizens. So to make a blanket statement that "oil services company Veco dabbled in shady dealings", is not fair. We are good people, and not everything that has to do with oil companies or petroleum based businesses, are corrupt. Please try and not let the "oil companies are bad", agenda overshadow the people who are just trying to provide for their families.
Anonymous wrote on June 20, 2007 11:32 PM:Veco and it's employees should not be made to look like a bunch of criminals. The 2 people who are under investigation and have confessed are the only people who should be held accountable. I am currently employed by Veco and I am proud to be. I have not heard or seen of any wrong doing until I heard it on the 6 o'clock news. There are 4000 of us that are law abiding citizens. So to make a blanket statement that "oil services company Veco dabbled in shady dealings", is not fair. We are good people, and not everything that has to do with oil companies or petroleum based businesses, are corrupt. Please try and not let the "oil companies are bad", agenda overshadow the people who are just trying to provide for their families.
keith wrote on June 20, 2007 11:34 PM:Veco and it's employees should not be made to look like a bunch of criminals. The 2 people who are under investigation and have confessed are the only people who should be held accountable. I am currently employed by Veco and I am proud to be. I have not heard or seen of any wrong doing until I heard it on the 6 o'clock news. There are 4000 of us that are law abiding citizens. So to make a blanket statement that "oil services company Veco dabbled in shady dealings", is not fair. We are good people, and not everything that has to do with oil companies or petroleum based businesses, are corrupt. Please try and not let the "oil companies are bad", agenda overshadow the people who are just trying to provide for their families.
714Day wrote on August 16, 2007 2:00 PM:"I guess we need to donate more....to the Democrats. Diane Benson is already running against Young...we need a good candidate against Stevens. And, not the equally corrupt Mayor of Anchorage Begich.
Come on Alaska, take your state back!!!!!!"
Posted by: Robin Boerner
I've been in the lower 48 for awhile.
Man, I hope Diane is a descendant of Benny's. That would be grand stuff.