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Sen. Stevens' Residence Searched By Federal Agents

By TChris, Section Corruption Cases
Posted on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 08:51:28 PM EST
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The Anchorage Daily News reports that federal agents are searching the home of Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska.

Keep on truckin', Sen. Stevens.

Sittin' and starin' out of the hotel window.
Got a tip they're gonna kick the door in again
I'd like to get some sleep before I travel,
But if you got a warrant, I guess you're gonna come in.

Update (TL): The Washington Post has more details.

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    Sen. Stevens' Residence Searched By Federal Agents | 18 comments (18 topical)

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    There's such a thing (5.00 / 0) (#7)
    by jondee on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 12:17:22 PM EST
    as an atmosphere of corruption and willful denial.

    Glaring examples: Billions missing or "unaccounted for" in Iraq.

    85% of regulators being former lobbyists.

    The enabling of every kind of tax dodge for the most affluent during a time of "national sacrifice" and "crisis".

    Oh, and of course, Clinton did unsavory things.

    He's running for re-election in 2008 (none / 0) (#1)
    by RedHead on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 11:49:28 PM EST
    send him down the "tubes"

    Just say NO!, Ted (none / 0) (#2)
    by baba durag on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 05:13:32 AM EST
    I'm sure they'll listen.

    Hmmm (none / 0) (#3)
    by Deconstructionist on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 07:49:32 AM EST
    If Stevens received renovation work for which he did not pay, it could be deemed unreported income by the IRS. Receipt of unreported renovation work also could amount to an illegal gratuity. Or if it were performed in return for political favors, it could be considered a bribe. Two weeks ago, Stevens told reporters that money for the remodeling came out of his own pocket.

    "As a practical matter, I will tell you. We paid every bill that was given to us," Stevens told reporters. "Every bill that was sent to us has been paid, personally, with our own money, and that's all there is to it. It's our own money

      Given the description of the search it seems someone wonders whether "every bill" actually represented the true fair market value of the materials and labor. I'd say the Feds are hoping they can find materials that were used that are misrepresented as being less expensive ones in the bills received, or that don't show up at all in the bills. A case could be premised on the undevaluing of the labor but that would be much more difficult.

    Your point (none / 0) (#4)
    by aj12754 on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 08:42:41 AM EST
    about the fair market value of the labor and materials is right on target...

    But I am also wonder what exactly "our own money" means.  How exactly did they come by their own money?  I'd really like a look at that special bank account that was set up.

    Parent

    aj (1.00 / 0) (#8)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 01:52:50 PM EST
    Let me help you.

    "our own money" means money that Stevens believes is his and his wife.

    Whether he came by it legally or not is an entirely difference..

    First the FBI finds $90K in cold cash in a Demos freezer, and now perhaps more in a Repubs Alaska home.

    Yet in both cases the money may be hot.

    And Reid is blocking earmark reform..

    Anybody here besides me for term limits??

    As for "special bank account," since that has been referred to, you are on your own.

    Parent

    Term limits?..... (5.00 / 0) (#9)
    by kdog on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 02:01:45 PM EST
    At this point I'd abolish the senate and the executive, get reps from the 50 states together and design something new...something very small and new.

    Parent
    reid are ready passed earmark reform (5.00 / 0) (#10)
    by Sailor on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 02:41:57 PM EST
    The House voted, 411-8, to pass the measure (S 1), sending it to the Senate for final action. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., was expected to file a cloture motion later Tuesday on a motion to call up the House-passed measure. That would set up a showdown vote on Thursday that will test the strength of GOP earmark foes who contend the measure does little to scale back the practice of targeting projects to member's home states and districts.
    as usual it's corrupt rethugs who block such measures.

    Parent
    The bill sucks. Everyone knows it (none / 0) (#12)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 06:41:45 PM EST
    That would set up a showdown vote on Thursday that will test the strength of GOP earmark foes who contend the measure does little to scale back the practice of targeting projects to member's home states and districts.

    The British newspaper The Guardian reports that the watered-down version of ethics reform will apparently get Republican backing after all in the Senate. Despite removing requirements for certification by chamber parliamentarians for earmark compliance, the elimination of searchability, and the restriction of the definition of personal benefit to an impossibility for enforcement, the Minority Leader and the Republican Whip both indicated that they would press the caucus to pass the bill:


    Parent
    But your (false) complaint was that ... (5.00 / 0) (#16)
    by Sailor on Wed Aug 01, 2007 at 12:42:35 PM EST
    ... Reid was blocking it. You were wrong, as always.

    Parent
    what a shock... (none / 0) (#11)
    by aj12754 on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 02:43:05 PM EST
    no help at all.

    Parent
    aj (none / 0) (#13)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 06:43:56 PM EST
    Sorry, but I am not into changing the meaning of generally accepted phrases.

    Parent
    moreover, it appears he was tipped to the raid (none / 0) (#5)
    by scribe on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 10:56:11 AM EST
    per this diary, someone at DoJ told Stevens lawyer they would be coming to execute the search warrant.

    I know, I know.  He's a Republican, so he gets kid glove treatment from the Republican DoJ.  One wonders whether the DoJ tipped Congressman Jefferson of Louisiana, the guy with the cold cash in his freezer, about them coming to execute a search warrant in his Capitol offices on a Saturday night.  IIRC, not only did they not tell Jefferson or his lawyers, but they even punked their own Speaker Hastert, too.

    While, from the reports, it seems the agents were photoing all the improvements to the Stevens house - like the stainless barbeque grill lifted to the deck with a crane and the heating tapes in the gutters - which wouldn't be easily moved, one has to wonder about tipping the object of a search warrant in advance.

    Oh, and that "we paid all the bills we received" defense has a gaping hole in it, even if what he said was literally true:  who says Stevens got all the bills for all the work and none of them were shortstopped?  That sort of literal truth is a classic Rethug deception tactic.

    Classic Democreep as well (none / 0) (#6)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 11:38:21 AM EST
    "I did not have sex with that girl." "It depends on what the definition of the word is is."

    That sword cuts both ways my friend.

    Back on topic, this sort of thing really blows my mind.

    I can't imagine a pol who thinks that no one would question where the money came from when he remodeled and doubled the size of his home.

    And who wouldn't think a simple peek at his income & expenses for a couple years wouldn't point out any discrepancies.

    I realize this may be a little more crafty, in that someone else may have paid for parts of the remodel, but still, why? The dude's been Alaska's main man since before it was a state even.

    Just sad.

    Again, the spurious and absurd connection... (none / 0) (#14)
    by Dadler on Wed Aug 01, 2007 at 10:34:14 AM EST
    ...between a CONSENSUAL sexual relationship and political corruption and bribery.

    Amazing.  Why not connect jaywalking and robbery?

    Parent

    In case it wasn't clear, (none / 0) (#15)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Aug 01, 2007 at 11:42:48 AM EST
    my comment:
    Classic Democreep as well.

    "I did not have sex with that girl." "It depends on what the definition of the word is is."

    was in response to this:
    That sort of literal truth is a classic Rethug deception tactic.
    Hence,
    That sword cuts both ways my friend.
    Amazing indeed.

    Parent
    One cut being (5.00 / 0) (#17)
    by jondee on Wed Aug 01, 2007 at 05:04:19 PM EST
    superficial and fairly irrelevant to the topic at at hand which was originally graft and corruption in state politics. Look over there: Bill Clinton.

    Of course, there are partisans on the Libertarian side of the aisle who seem to believe that graft should not only be legalized, but, that it's the most efficient way to get things done; ethical considerations being for losers and the weak.

    Parent

    I merely responded (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Aug 01, 2007 at 05:42:37 PM EST
    to what was written by one of your brethren in arms.

    That you dislike it to be pointed out that his partisan cut is so easily inflicted upon your own is not my concern.

    If the subject truly be superficial and irrelevant I encourage you to muster up the fortitude to ignore his comment on the subject and mine in response.

    Parent

    Sen. Stevens' Residence Searched By Federal Agents | 18 comments (18 topical)

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