Stevens Combative During Ethics Testimony

"I Pay My Bills Wherever I Am," Alaska Sen. Tells Prosecutors During Corruption Trial

(AP)  A combative Sen. Ted Stevens jousted with a federal prosecutor Friday over his relationship with a crooked businessman who provided gifts and thousands of dollars in free work on his house in Alaska.

The famously short-fused Stevens could be seen trying to keep his temper in check as prosecutor Brenda Morris pressed him about the more than $250,000 in renovations and other gifts he received through millionaire businessman Bill Allen, who founded VECO Corp., an oil services company.

Stevens is charged with trying to hide the gifts and free work by lying on Senate financial disclosure forms.

As Morris repeatedly questioned him on his relationship with Allen, VECO and the new things at his home, Stevens would shoot back with: "You're not listening to me, I've answered it twice," "I'm not going to get into a numbers game with you," "You're making a lot of assumptions that are unwarranted," and "That question is tautological."

Stevens insisted that the things he received from Allen, such as furniture, a backup generator and a toolbox, were things from a drinking buddy who had keys to his Girdwood home, not material from VECO Corp.

"VECO is not Bill Allen to me. Bill Allen is not VECO. You're the one bringing VECO in here. Bill Allen is my friend," Stevens said.

And Stevens told jurors that he didn't want the things Allen brought over anyway, and continually asked him for bills or to take the things away. But Allen didn't.

"You were a lion of the Senate, but you didn't know how to stop this man from putting big ticket items at your home?" said Morris, who asked the Republican icon why he didn't just ask for his keys back.

"I asked him to change and he said he would," said Stevens, who said Allen was a friend.

"But he didn't," Morris said.

"No, he didn't," Stevens said

The renovations are at the heart of Stevens' corruption trial. The Alaska Republican appeared as his own star witness, trying to convince jurors that he paid every bill he received for his 2000 home renovation project and didn't know he received any freebies.

"I pay my bills wherever I am," Stevens said. "I don't let people buy my lunch or buy my dinner. Wherever I am, I pay my bills."

Stevens said he and his wife, Catherine, intended to treat the renovation project the same way. He said they relied on friends to oversee it and arranged a loan to pay for it. He described making it clear that he intended to pay for everything.

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View Justice Deptartment documents in the Ted Stevens corruption trial

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Justice Department prosecutors contend Stevens knew he was getting more work than he was paying for and intentionally concealed that on Senate financial disclosure forms.

Allen testified earlier in the trial that Stevens knew he wasn't getting billed for all the work being done and that he wanted invoices only to protect himself.

"That's just an absolute lie," said Stevens, who sat stone-faced during that testimony. "I heard it. It's an absolute lie."

Stevens suggested that some details may have gotten lost amid the busy life of a senator: the committee meetings, the long hours and the challenges that come with representing a state four time zones away.

And he said the renovations were essentially his wife's project. When renovation bills arrived at his office, Stevens said, his staff members forwarded them to his wife.

"What goes on in the house is Catherine's business," Stevens testified. "What goes on outside is my business," he said.

Stevens cast himself as an honest lawmaker who was out-of-the-loop when it came to the things that were going on at his Girdwood home. With his lawyer Brendan Sullivan, Stevens went through some of things he said he found at his home without ever asking for them.

He said he asked Allen to rent a small generator for the house and was surprised to find a complicated, high-end model hard-wired to the house. "I asked him why we had that rather than a portable one. He said, 'I told the guys to hook it up and that's what they did,"' Stevens testified.

He said he told Allen to get rid of it. "This is the first real argument I had with Bill over what was going on at the house," he said.

Stevens also described being stunned to find that Allen had stocked his house with furniture. "I literally walked in and found all new furniture," Stevens said. "All of our furniture was gone."

The trial has jeopardized one of the Senate's storied careers. An imposing figure in Alaska politics since before statehood, Stevens is now fighting to hold onto a Senate seat he has held for generations. He's hoping for an acquittal before Election Day.

[ray999999]

just more republican lies,the more they lie the more people vote for these idiots.vote republican and your job is next to be cut or sent to india.

[sedean1]

I''m just so stupid that I didn''t know what I was doing! Now that''s a typical Republican refrain!!

[walt1944-2009]

It has been learned that Senator Ted Stevens apparently suffers from the same kind of senility that John McBush McCain does.

Stevens cannot remember what renovations on his home were "freebies" and which were paid for. McBush cannot remember how many homes he has and where they all are located, nor can he remember how many cars he has and were they are all parked!

Sarah "Moose-hunter" Palin, of course, cannot remember anything, which is why she relies on her "First Dude" to run things for her!!!

With Stevens, however, his house must have been in SAD SHAPE, if he cannot remember what parts of it he paid to renovate and which he didn''t. Perhaps he should have received a visit from Ty of ABC''s Extreme Makeover and had the whole place razed and a new mansion built!!!

SIG HEIL, IT''S NOT SOCIALISM; GOVERNMENT IS JUST HELPING OUT!!!, BUSH!!!
sig heil, WHERE DID I PUT MY CAR KEYS!!!, McBush!!!
sig heil, MY "FIRST DUDE" WILL HANDLE EVERYTHING!!!, Palin!!!

[windmaster12]

Of Course its True
If you Drink enough Red Kool Aid
You will think:
Dumbya did a good Job
And that The Republican''s did a great Job
These last 8 years

And Of Course !!!
Our collapsing Economy
Was all Bill Clinton''s Fault

Saddaam Had WMD''s
Etc Etc
Its called GOP
BS Syndrome
Black is White
White Is Black

And that Mccain Is Different
Though he voted with Bush 90% of the Time

Please Give us all A break

Out with all the GOP Skaliwags

[oneopinion]

So, how is life under the bus, Mrs. Stevens? First Mr. Class Act says that he and his wife relied on their friends to oversee the project. Then later, it was "What goes on in the house is Catherine''s business."

Surely, no jury is going to believe you didn''t know you were getting far more than you were paying for. At your age, a better defense would have been that it seems like only yesterday that a loaf of bread cost a nickel. And, do you really believe the public is impressed with Congress'' work ethic? I''m guessing most of your constituents are far busier than you.

[jjp735i]

Old Age. Best excuse he can give.

[tromboneman3]

just more republican lies,the more they lie the more people vote for these idiots.vote republican and your job is next to be cut or sent to india.
---------------------------------------------------

Actually with this up coming election it seems. Vote either and watch your job take off to another land.

[briannorwood]

I have very little tolorance for crooks in government. I put them on the same level as drug dealers and rapists.

I don''t care what party (i.e. Jefferson in LA or Stevens in AK). Purge these criminals from government!

[yongamerica]

Old Age. Best excuse he can give. -jjp735i

It Got President Regan out of trouble.
"All I know is I don''t know" Regan testimony in Iran-Contra affair.

[mountainzen]

"Honey the pesky Alaskan Beavers put in a balcony and steel staircase!"

[craigh9]

The days of accepting reasons because of ignorance are over - fry the SOB and take every penny from him that is legally allowable.

[fedup_w_pols-2009]

To all you republican bashers out there. I can understand why you want to beat up on them as I do and can also do for the Dems. But you all come across as though nothing is to be left to blame when it comes to the Dems. Honestly are you all that blind or just smitten with any Dem that you can''t step back and take a objective look at the entire situation long enough to know that indeed BOTH sides of the aisle have been *** us over all these years. I realize you can say this and that and I can go on and on about either side they are both that crooked. Yet it seems to me that your all under the belief that if we only let libs and dems run everything we would all have rainbows and pizza everyday. Your not really that naive or stupid are you?

[rozellesucks]

this reminds me of the old Steve Martin routine "I forgot armed robbery was against the law" LOL

[tejasdemo]

He is nothing but a piece of garbage.

[doctajim]

Fascinating! Reminds me of when one of my teenage students told me she bought a new iPod for only $20. When I asked where she got it - she told me, "Out of a car, a guy had about 50 of them." When I asked if she thought they were probably stolen - she said with teen naivity - "Really?!"
Senator - Don''t play stupid - you''re not a teenager any longer.

[xlib]

I think that''s what ms pelosi''s hubby said about the money from her pac to his investment and real estate company. He didn''t know!!
I think that''s what charlie rangel said when he got caught not paying property taxes on his vacation home. He didn''t know!
I think that''s what nesbill, big wig in the messiah''s camp said when he got called not paying taxes. I didn''t know!
See how that works.

[john6pack]

Steven''s defense is ridiculos.
He blames his wife when he benefited as well from the freebies.
It''s like Palin blaming her husband for firing the commisioner....We all know the truth now.

[danito123]

If you believe that, then you''re probably voting for Obama too, right?

[danito123]

What??? He was unaware he got freebies??? Thats like say "I didn''t know I had my finger up my butt!!!

[terrapin78]

ANd that is why Stevens is recorded talking about hiding the "gifts" (gifts=graft).

Sounds like perjury can be added to the list of charges.

[troutfisher4]

"I asked for the bills."

What a lame lame lame excuse. This is a smart guy who knew exactly what was going on. He simply set up a scenario of "plausible deniability", and is using this now. Kick him out.

[questionnews]

Sen. Stevens: "I Was Unaware I Got Freebies"

That goes right along with "I Was Unaware the girl was only 14 years old."

[questionnews]

brdliky3

Did you eat paint chips as a kid??

Catch a lawn dart in the top of the head??

[cnjcc]

Save your breath people. What do you think attracts people to politics? It''s power, money, and influence (and the knowledge that if you do get caught doing something wrong, you''re pre-disposed to getting a slap on the wrist). I don''t think it''s so much that they believe the public is stupid or gullible or apathetic (although many are), as it is the arrogance of power. Anything good that''s said about them (even if they have to make it up themselves) is touted as great achievement, and anything bad is denied. It''s been a long fall from the lofty goals of our founding fathers to the mess today''s politicians have made of our government.

[lmartink]

Corruption is a way of life in Alaskan politics. Of course Stevens is guilty.

But the really big guy of Alaska corruption was the low-life Senator Frank Murkowski. It wasn''t just dishonesty with him -- it was outright theft, conspiracy to enrich himself at taxpayers expense. Murkowski made Stevens look like he''s running in slow motion.

[bailmeout1]

As a Republican, you disgust me Stevens - rot in prison.

[brianbwb-2009]

"And he said the renovations were essentially his wife''s project. When renovation bills arrived at his office, Stevens said, his staff members forwarded them to his wife."

So from whose bank account came the money your wife should have used to pay the bills?

"What goes on in the house is Catherine''s business," Stevens testified. "What goes on outside is my business," he said."

Hey Ted, whose name is on the deed, hers, or yours?

"He said he told Allen to get rid of it. "This is the first real argument I had with Bill over what was going on at the house," he said.

But you just said "What goes on in the house is Catherine''s business".

""You''re making a lot of assumptions that are unwarranted," and "That question is tautological."

"Tautological, prn., describing a statement of propositional logic which holds for all truth values of its atomic propositions"

In your vain attempts at sesquipedalian thrasonical bombast, you evoke memories of Spiro Agnew, who tended to obfuscate his prevarications behind polysyllabic cacophony.

[babooph]

To quote Buckley-"I did not leave the rep. party -the party left me."I thought most criminals were combative?[I also do not notice when my wife spend 250 ,000$-easy to miss those little things.

[scottyusa]

Isn''t it ironic that the biggest cheats are the ones that already have more money than they know what to do with?

[babooph]

Running for office -the know it all & have all the answers-on the witness stand they knew nothing ,remember nothing & "WERE NOT IN THE LOOP!!"