http://benmuse.typepad.com/ben_muse/2007/07/whats-alaskas-c.htmlhttp://phoenixwoman.wordpress.com/2007/07/25/corruption-charges-may-take-down-alaska-delegation/The GOP's Alaska delegation could become the new poster boys for corruption.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110010437Tuesday, August 7, 2007 12:01 a.m. EDT
And then came one of those coincidences that can sometimes become a turning point in politics. At nearly the same time the earmark reforms were voted on in the Senate, the FBI was in Alaska raiding the home of Sen. Ted Stevens--a senior Republican--looking for evidence of whether he diverted earmarks to benefit his son and business partners. If you thought Jack Abramoff was a symbol of Washington sleaze, just wait to see what happens if Mr. Stevens is further embroiled in scandal.
There's no question that Mr. Stevens is an aggressive pork barreler. The main airport in Anchorage is named after him and in 2005 he championed funds to build the now-infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" (actually, it was to build a $223 million bridge to an island with 50 people on it). He became the butt of jokes and stories surfaced about his ties to Bill Allen, then CEO of the oil-services giant VECO.
An FBI probe of VECO led to several indictments and a raid last year of the offices of Ben Stevens, Mr. Stevens's son (who was at the time president of the Alaska state senate). Meanwhile, Don Young, Alaska's only member of the U.S. House of Representatives and former chairman of the Transportation Committee, is under federal investigation for his own ties to VECO.
Mr. Allen recently pleaded guilty to bribing state legislators and is cooperating with authorities. The raid on Mr. Stevens's house is linked to more than $100,000 of renovation work done on that dwelling that was overseen by Mr. Allen. Mr. Stevens insists "we paid every bill that was given to us with our own money."
Privately, many Republican senators believe Mr. Stevens may be forced to retire next year. "The suspicions are great," one GOP senator told me. "He's toast. You start out thinking you are representing your state and you take one step after another until suddenly you're primarily representing your friends in the state." That's a path many others in Congress have trod--which is why real earmark reform is necessary now.