Stevens indictment stuns lawmakers

MAT-SU — Some Mat-Su Valley legislators are reacting with disappointment in the wake of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens’ federal grand jury indictment on corruption charges handed down earlier this week.

Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the U.S. Senate, is facing seven counts of filling false financial disclosures. The 28-page indictment reveals about $250,000 worth of “things of value” Stevens allegedly received from former VECO CEO Bill Allen, then failed to report as required on yearly financial disclosure forms.

Allen has been at the heart of investigations that have already resulted in the indictment, conviction or plea bargains from seven other former and current lawmakers, VECO executives and political appointees.

In a statement from Stevens’ office about the indictment, the senator asserts his innocence.

“I have never knowingly submitted a false disclosure form required by law as a U.S. Senator,” Stevens says in the statement. “I am innocent of these charges and intend to prove that.”

As word of Stevens’ indictment spread through Alaska, some state politicians said they are waiting to see what happens next before passing judgment.

“My reaction is I’m kind-of stunned,” said Rep. Mark Neuman, R-Big Lake.

Neuman said he doesn’t quite know what to think of the indictment yet and would rather wait to see what happens as the investigation unfolds. Neuman also said he hopes the indictment doesn’t become fodder for candidates to run negative campaigns.

“I hope people don’t take this to start making politics a nasty thing and start slinging mud,” Neuman said.

Stevens’ indictment comes as part of a four-year federal probe into Alaska politics that has sent three former state legislators to prison. The most recent, former Valley state House member Vic Kohring, is serving a 42-month prison sentence after being convicted of bribery, conspiracy and attempted extortion.

The man appointed to Kohring’s seat after Kohring’s resignation, Rep. Wes Keller, R-Wasilla, said the general feeling he has after hearing of the indictments — and one he said is shared by most of the lawmakers in Juneau — is sickness.

“This is terrible for Alaskans no matter how you look at it,” Keller said by phone from Juneau, where the Legislature is meeting in special session.

Keller said not only does Stevens provide for a fair amount of cash by way of congressional earmarks for Alaska, but with another politician from the state indicted — and now a U.S. senator — the situation does nothing to help the public’s trust in the system.

“It’s like another black eye to Alaska,” he said.

However, like Neuman, Keller said it’s important to wait until all the facts come out in the Stevens case before jumping to conclusions about the allegations he failed to properly disclosed thousands in gifts from VECO.

“They are accusations at this point,” Keller said. “Unproven.”

Calls to Sen. Lyda Green, R-Wasilla, Sen. Charlie Huggins, R-Wasilla, and Rep. Carl Gatto, R-Palmer, seeking comment were not returned by press time.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.