Stevens Pleads Not Guilty

Standing in a federal courthouse only a few blocks from the chamber where he built himself into a Senate legend, Sen. Ted Stevens pleaded not guilty Thursday to seven felony counts of filing false information.

Stevens’ attorney, Brendan Sullivan, asked U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan to set a trial date in September or October.  "I'm not here to ask for any favors because he's a senator," Sullivan said. "But he would like to clear his name before his election."

Prosecutors said they would not object to such a request.

Stevens, 84, was released on his own recognizance. However, as a condition of his pre-trial release, he was required to surrender his passport to U.S. Marshals. As a result, he will not be able to travel outside the country until his trial has concluded.

Sullivan, noting that most of the witnesses in the case are in Alaska, said he intends to file a motion on Stevens' behalf for a change of venue. Prosecutors said they would oppose that motion, and the judge set an Aug. 4 deadline for Stevens' request.

The trial is expected to last three to four weeks with 30 to 40 witnesses, but Stevens' attorney said he expects the proceedings to move "fairly quickly" because the case is "not complex." Prosecutors said they anticipate using the results of both audio and video surveillance in the case.

Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in Senate history, has been accused of receiving more than $250,000 in gifts and services from an Alaska oil services firm, including major renovations to his home, a sweet deal on a car trade-in and household gifts including a Viking grill.

The scene on the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse on Constitution Avenue was a familiar one for anyone who has followed Washington scandals — rows of TV trucks and swarms of photographers and scurrying scribes.

Stevens was charged Tuesday in a 28-page indictment filled with details about gifts he allegedly received from Veco, ranging from plumbing and electrical services to a wraparound deck in his Girdwood, Alaska, home.

Stevens has not been charged with the more serious crime of bribery because prosecutors do not have evidence of a quid pro quo with VECO in which Stevens did favors in return for the gifts. Some legal experts say the case may be tough to prosecute because prosecutors will have to show beyond a reasonable doubt that Stevens knowingly filed false financial disclosure forms with the Senate.

While the case against Stevens may not be a slam dunk, Stevens’ political career is in serious jeopardy. Stevens is up for reelection in November, and in some polls he was already trailing the Democratic challenger, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, even before he was indicted. 

The Alaskan Republican Party is holding an Aug. 26 primary, and Stevens has vowed that his campaign is in “full steam ahead” mode.

In the Senate, fellow GOP senators have reserved judgment on Stevens but are rapidly distancing themselves politically by returning tens of thousands in campaign contributions from Stevens’ PAC, the Northern Lights Foundation. GOP senators, particularly Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have been pounded with questions about whether Stevens should resign.

McConnell has remained silent for much of the week on the Stevens matter.