Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Senate Republican in history, was found guilty Monday of lying about free home renovations and other gifts from a wealthy contractor looking for political favors.
The man considered the dean of Alaska politics was found guilty of all seven felony counts, casting doubt on his future after 40 years in politics. The first sitting senator convicted since 1981, he is the fifth ever to be convicted, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Prosecutors had charged the 84-year-old lawmaker with failing to disclose $250,000 worth of gifts, primarily from now-defunct oil services company Veco Corp. and its former CEO, Bill Allen.
Among the gifts was a home renovation project that transformed the senator’s Girdwood, Alaska, home from a quaint cabin to a sizeable house, a $2,600 massage chair and a Viking gas grill.
Stevens countered that his family had paid more than $160,000 for the renovations, that some of the gifts were loans, and others were simply left at his home by Allen. He said that anything left off Senate disclosure forms was merely an oversight.
But jurors returned guilty verdicts on every count. Each count carries a maximum five years in prison and $250,000 fine. U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan will sentence Stevens in January.
Next week, Stevens faces an electoral challenge from Democrat Mark Begich, and must either drop out or continue campaigning as a convicted felon.
During his four decades on Capitol Hill, Stevens became legendary for funneling millions in federal dollars to Alaska, including the “bridge to nowhere” project. Buildings and facilities all across Alaska, including the state’s biggest airport, bear his name.
Stevens is the latest Alaska Republican to be felled by a wide-ranging public corruption probe in that state. The investigation began in 2004, expanded to include Allen’s company two years later and ensnared the senator after investigators became suspicious of Stevens’ relationship with Allen.
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