This has to be one of the best stories of the election. Yesterday, Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens was indicted of concealing over US$ 250,000 in “gifts” from an oil company looking for favors. The oil company used the Senator to secure business contacts in Pakistan and Russia, along with other favors.
According a report in the LA Times, in the last week of October 1999, Pakistan was desperate to remove powerful military and economic sanctions imposed after the successful nuclear tests in 1998. Stevens was chairman of the conference committee that was overseeing the change. But according to Capitol Hill sources, Senator Stevens made it clear that he wanted Pakistan to resolve a multimillion-dollar dispute with an Alaskan construction and engineering company, VECO, owned by his close friend Bill Allen.
For the background, a June 2003 LA Times report:
A provision giving the White House permanent authority to lift the sanctions against Pakistan appeared to be sailing through Congress – attached to the Defense Department appropriations bill that was moving through Stevens’ conference committee.
But it ran into trouble with Stevens, who was also the powerful chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its Defense Department appropriations subcommittee.
Stevens raised the issue of a contract dispute VECO was having with Pakistan over payment for VECO’s participation in construction of a US$ 70 million pipeline. He wanted Pakistan to resolve it. Some of the people involved maintain that Stevens said he would not pass the provision until VECO was taken care of, while others said his intervention was more benign.
The ever famous Charlie Wilson, who was Pakistan’s lobbyist at the time:
“Sen. Stevens brought the problem to our attention,” Pakistan’s then-lobbyist, former Texas Rep. Charlie Wilson, said in an interview in 2003. “It was a constituent complaint.” A popular movie about Wilson was released last year.
Wilson did not see Stevens’ stance as “a threat.” He said he talked to the Pakistani Embassy about it.
“His constituent had a just grievance with Pakistan,” said Wilson at the time. “The truth is that Sen. Stevens’ constituent was right… . Pakistan corrected it.” Wilson could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Stevens let the amendment, allowing for the sanctions to be dropped, go through on Oct. 7, 1999, after getting assurances from Pakistan that it would let the World Bank arbitrate the dispute.
The Anchorage Daily News in an article on September 5, 2007, a reporter spoke with the President of VECO about the alleged corruption in regards to Stevens’ son, Ben, being paid over US$ 360,000 in consulting fees from companies that also donated to his election campaign:
“…hires Stevens because he is familiar with the company and knows his way around the government maze in Washington, D.C. He said last year Stevens helped Veco get paid for work on a World Bank-sponsored pipeline project in Pakistan.”
Senator Stevens rewards for VECO include a US$ 100 million contract for research support and logistics services in Alaska, Greenland, the North Pole, Canada, Russia and other Arctic locations. The company has also disclosed other lucrative-looking contracts, though the exact values are unknown.
Stevens is also funneled billions of dollars in earmarks and federal funds back to his home state, but he become the butt of jokes over the so-called “bridge to nowhere” earmark that became a symbol of Washington excess.
While he’s known in Washington for his explosive temper, Stevens is beloved in Alaska, where Republican Gov. Sarah Palin said Tuesday that news of the senator’s indictment had “rock[ed] the foundation of our state.”
So first Governor Palin is judged to have acted “unethically” in the Troopergate scandal. Then, she gets embroiled in ClothingGate further dragging down a failing McCain – Palin presidential ticket. If that was not enough, memos started to emerge from the McCain camp that “Palin is a Diva” and that “she is only looking out for herself.” Now, another Alaskan brings more shame to the Republican party and pretty much clinches the White House for the Democrats, but could also swing them past the Magic 60 number that will give them control of both houses.
I guess Alaska politics are much like Pakistan’s.
Lie, cheat and steal to get into office.
Cheat and steal for your friends to stay in office.
When you get caught, blame it on someone else!
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