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

[wm1066]

He is counting on his base being to dumb to know whats what. Thats really sad.

[littlepuffycloud]

OMG...delusional much? This tiny old man has an ego the size of Alaska.

[Montanan4Obama]

How can Stevens be appealing his conviction, if he has not been convicted? What a twisted world of logic these Republicans live in.

I saw Marion Jones recently on Oprah and since Jones is a convicted felon she is barred from voting in this election. Yet, Stevens not only can run for office, he can hold office unless Congress deems otherwise. So, Stevens can serve, but Marion cannot vote. Very strange indeed.

[Jeff1958]

I heard from Rachel Maddow that convicted felons (like Stevens) are prohibited from voting in Alaska. Stevens can't vote for himself! He'll find out he's been convicted when he attemts to vote and is denied.

[jerryfromcalifornia]

They should have sentenced him on the spot, cuffed him and sent him stright to prison.
I've seen them do that in the past.
Gov. Don Siegelman for example.

[Jimjamlam]

Uncle Ted's interpretation of "conviction," "felon," and "appeals process" will be great news for the thousands of guys sitting in prison at this very moment waiting, often for decades, on their own appeals process. Steven's tortured reading of his conviction makes Clinton's "is" look like linguistic genius.

[darthdarcy]

According to Stevens a conviction in Federal Court is not a Conviction...

Interesting precedent, I wonder if Scalia agrees...?

Maybe this only applies to crooked Republican swindlers...

[pilgrim7]

Palin also violated Alaska's ethics law but denied the abuse-of-power finding. She and Stevens have a lot in common. Wait a minute! Did I read somewhere that Stevens had free work done on his home that was paid for by VECO, the oil pipeline company? And that Palin's half-a-million-dollar home was also built for free by Todd's "friends who were contractors" at the same time as the construction of the Wasilla Sports Complex down the road from that "free" home?

[Okieborn]

Nov. 4th I am waiting so Stevens and Palin can go back to Alaska where they might not be so welcome !!!

[reliant1]

The man is mad as a hatter...there would be a whole lot of convicted kil.lers walking around instead of sitting on dea.th row, if you were "innocent until all appeals expired"....

[donttasemebro]

It is sad to see a United States senator understand to little of our own judicial system. He was found guilty on seven felony counts by a jury of his peers. That means he has been convicted. That conviction may be overturned on appeal, that's true. But right now, he is a convicted felon. To try to suggest otherwise in a feeble attempt to gain votes is just sad.

[blood1]

My apologies to those Alaskans that understand the english language, BUT

What is it with those Alaskan politicians who do not seem to understand that "found guilty" means exactly that....first Palin, who said she was NOT FOUND GUILTY OF ANYTHING, except an ETHICS VIOLATION OF HER OFFICE and now STEVENS -FOUND GUILTY!

Are they given some magic potion when elected that makes them believe that lying only counts when THEY proclaim someone else of doing just that. What a whacky government...maybe that is why the give all Alaskans an oil revenue check each year....it's a bribe to keep them quiet.

[surfcitysteven]

I don't think he is appealing one bit. I think he is quite repugnant.

[CurtisEMayle]

Touché

[Utopian007]

Funny thing is, Stevens is a lawyer. But I guess he didn't practice real law, (criminal law) But I guess he will get a refresher course of his law school classes in the near future. But a think to watch is if he tries to vote. I don't think he can even vote for himself if he is a convicted felon unless Alaskan Law allows otherwise..

[Openeyes]

He HAS been convicted. If he wins on appeal, the convictions could be overturned, but as it stands now, he's been convicted - otherwise, he'd have nothing to appeal.

[seattledemocrat]

There must be something up in Alaska that prevents elected people who are convicted of crimes or ethic violations to live in reality.