http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080731/ap_on_go_co/stevensAlaska Sen. Ted Stevens is due in federal court to answer charges that he lied about hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts from an oil services contractor.
Stevens is the Senate's longest-serving Republican and has been a dominant figure in congressional politics for a generation. After being indicted on seven counts of lying on Senate disclosure forms, Stevens was ordered to surrender in federal court and appear before a judge Thursday. A throng of reporters and television crews awaited his appearance.
Stevens, a former federal prosecutor, has said little about the corruption investigation that has dogged him for more than a year. Thursday's court hearing was likely to be no different. He was expected to plead not guilty, but initial court appearances are usually brief.
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The indictment stops short, however, of charging Stevens with bribery or other traditional corruption charges. Despite winning cooperation from the VECO executives and searching the senator's home, the Justice Department said it could not prove a this-for-that corruption case.