The Washington Post reports:
Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens (R) was charged with seven counts of making false statements on his financial disclosure forms in an indictment unsealed in federal court in the District this afternoon. [...]
Stevens, a senator since 1968, "knowingly and willfully engaged in a scheme to conceal a material fact" according to the 28-page indictment.
Items Stevens received include the creation of a new first floor, garage, and a wraparound deck on a Girdwood, Alaska property the lawmaker dubbed "the chalet," according to the court papers. He also received a professional Viking gas grill and a tool cabinet, prosecutors said.
In return, Allen and his company sought funding and help with international projects in Pakistan and Russia, as well as federal grant and contract requests, according to the charges. Veco officials also sought assistance to construct a natural gas pipeline on Alaska's north slope.
Stevens faces a contested primary on August 26. But Chris Cillizza notes that Stevens's Republican challengers are not as well known as the presumed Democratic candidate Mark Begich; the deadline for candidates to enter the race has already passed. The most recent Alaska Senate race poll--conducted before the indictment was handed down--showed Stevens trailing Begich by 8 points.
