Sen. Stevens vows to fight guilty verdict

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) maintained his innocence on Monday despite being found guilty on all counts in his corruption trial.

Stevens said his conviction on seven charges of making false statements was the result of "prosecutorial misconduct" by the Department of Justice He will remain in the Senate -- and on the ballot in Alaska on November 4 -- while he pursues an appeal.

"This verdict is the result of the unconscionable manner in which the Justice Department lawyers conducted this trial," Stevens said in a statement. "I ask that Alaskans and my Senate colleagues stand with me as I pursue my rights."

Prosecutors said Stevens lied on Senate disclosure forms by failing to report work on his home in Alaska that was paid by a defunct oil services company whose officials have been linked to a major scandal in the state. He insisted he paid for all the work and said he never accepted gifts.

Stevens is the former chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and is one of the most powerful members of the Senate. He has used his position to help Alaska Native corporations and to pressure Alaska tribes and villages, who disagree with his stances on tribal sovereignty.

Get the Story:
Stevens Found Guilty on 7 Counts (The Washington Post 10/28)
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Alaska Senator Is Guilty Over His Failures to Disclose Gifts (The New York Times 10/28)
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Stevens guilty: 'It's not over yet,' he says (The Anchorage Daily News 10/28)
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Editorial: Ted Stevens, convicted (The Anchorage Daily News 10/28)

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