Stevens Says He Hasn't Yet Been Convicted

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Sen. Ted Stevens says he is not a convicted felon, at least until the appeal process is over.

"I've not been convicted yet," the Alaska Republican insisted Thursday in a meeting with the editorial board of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. "There's not a black mark by my name yet, until the appeal is over and I am finally convicted, if that happens. If that happens, of course I'll do what's right for Alaska and for the Senate ... I don't anticipate it happening, and until it happens I do not have a black mark."

A federal court jury on Monday convicted Stevens on seven counts of lying on Senate disclosure forms to conceal more than $250,000 in gifts and renovations to his home from VECO Corp. founder Bill Allen.

Stevens, the longest serving Republican in the U.S. Senate, is seeking re-election in Tuesday's election, and faces a formidable challenger in Democrat Mark Begich, the mayor of Anchorage.

There have been growing calls among Republican leaders for Stevens to resign, including from GOP presidential candidate John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Stevens dismissed that as "statements made on the trail, in the heat of battle."

Alaska's junior senator, Republican Lisa Murkowski, sat with Stevens in the editorial board meeting and was more critical of Republicans turning on Stevens.

"For all of them, it's a very close election. I think they're looking to their own political skin. If it helps them in their effort to gain re-election, they will, unfortunately, throw Ted under the bus," she said.

Comments

[wordvarc]

Convicted, not yet sentenced.

[paulita]

I have a different take on this one. I think it sounds like he was a target of some person in the GOP. Albeit you should properly report things on your Financial Disclosure Statement, and if he did not, all of the people are correct that he has to suffer the consequences of such actions.

My problem is the targeting because someone in the GOP neocon wing wants to get rid of you. This is the type of thing that has been going on for the past 8 years that we need to get rid of; we have to expect high honor, duty, and honesty from ALL of our leaders, not selective prosecution.

And why was the Governor, whom apparently he endorsed for governor, and helped her to get in there, so quick to throw him under the bus?


Something is rotten in Denmark here.

[instarx]

Your views of the law are as dangerous as are Steven's own. It doesn't matter who supports him or who turned him in, or sho stands to gain (or lose) in his conviction. if he broke the law, he broke the law. Period.

As for who threw him under the bus - Steven's threw *himself* under the bus for those unreported gifts and favors.

[Wigelah]

What is it about those Alaskans that they don't understand when they've done something wrong? What makes them think that? I've been to Alaska and it didn't make me lie about everything. I don't remember all of the people I encountered in Alaska as not being able to understand the difference. Maybe it's an Alaska politician problem. Or maybe it's just a republican thing.

[lylo]

So if I commit robbery, am convicted, and appeal, I don't have to go to jail?
I always thought that once you were convicted you went to jail, then appealed from there.

[ReelBusy]

If you are rich white and powerful you stay out of jail until sentencing or appeal.

[Bombenhagel]

See, that's what I thought as well, but apparently not. I think if you or I committed seven (7) felonies and were convicted on all SEVEN charges, we wouldn't receive the same "coming home" party as Ted Stevens. Oh, we'd get a "coming home" party, just not like that.

[honestpolitician]

GO VOTE NOW! Make History! Obama is need of all the votes necessary to create a landslide. Let's make sure that our state turns blue! Bring your friends and family - make it a group thing! Wouldn't you want to say 1 year from now, 5 years from now, or even 20 years from now that you contributed to the most highlighted election in US history? Wouldn't you be proud to tell your kids/grandkids years from now that you voted for this election? It will be the most talked about election for centuries. Voting is a right and a privilege. Let's all make history together!

http://politicaladattacks.blogspot.com/

[HST]

Gee Ted how can we miss ya if you won't go away?

Don't go away mad, just go AWAY.

[Snoop2]

Why does God allow aholes like him to live?

[Osprey3]

What part of the juror's verdict (GUILTY on All Counts!) doesn't the Senator understand?

[rblackbird]

Maybe, the better way of framing the issue is to state, "The jury found Stevens guilty of fraud." That should be as black a mark as anyone could conceive.

Stevens is deliberately clouding the picture, by throwing out a bogus technical issue. It is true that the final step in a conviction is the trial court's entry of a judgment of conviction upon the jury's verdict. That has not happened yet, but is inevitable because of the jury's finding. So it is fair enough to say he was "convicted­." However, entry of this judgement is a predicate to Stevens' filing an appeal. So, he will have a black mark by his name, as he characterizes it, BEFORE he files his appeal. A reversal is highly unlikely. He will have a black mark on his head for the remainder of his chiseling life.

[NoSillyName]

He was found guilty. I know because I read about it on the "series of tubes", otherwise known as the internet.

[NoSillyName]

What is it about Alaska that prohibits political wrongdoers from being able to accept the truth?

[cobraxus]

GWB will probably pardon Stevens just as he did Scooter Libby.As for the support Uncle Ted receives from his electorate remember:Alaska is where Montana sends people it deems too crazy even by their patriot militia/an­ti-goverme­nt conspiracy standards.

[instarx]

Unfortunately, you are probably right. But trust me on this point: it WON"T happen before the election.

[HanaleiHoward]

con·vict
Pronunciation: kən-ˈvikt
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French convicter, from Latin convictus, past participle of convincere to refute, convict
Date: 14th century

transitive verb
1 : to find or prove to be guilty
2 : to convince of error or sinfulness

intransitive verb
: to find a defendant guilty

Pretty straight forward... he was found guilty = Convicted. Sheesh...

[DKLabRat]

Was he actually in court last week?

[L3ftofC3nter]

That's what I was thinking?? I mean where was he when the jury read the 'guilty on all counts'?

[pizzmoe]

How dare they throw a felon under the bus?