Alaska fisheries crimes by Stevens under investigation

October 30, 2007

Anchorage, Alaska - The Associated Press is reporting that Senator Ted Stevens and his son Ben are under criminal investigation for Alaska fisheries issues. AlaskaReport.com has been reporting on this for years - but now the nation finally has the story too.

Stevens and his son Ben, the former Alaska Senate president, are also under investigation for extortion, tax evasion, and bribery charges relating to Alaska's legislature.

The AP reports that authorities have quietly amassed evidence against the two about fisheries corruption.

After serving subpoenas throughout the industry last year, investigators recently returned to Seattle, home to many of the boats and processors that bring Alaska's seafood to market.

Industry officials and attorneys involved in the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity because authorities have told them not to discuss the probe, said investigators are asking about federal legislation that directly or indirectly aided the senator's son, Ben, who is a state lobbyist and politician.

The legislation was passed as earmarks, brief spending items that lawmakers tack onto bills to steer federal money to pet projects. Ted Stevens, an unapologetic user of earmarks, is the biggest champion for Alaska's $2 billion-a-year seafood industry.

As of October 30th, 2007 the massive Alaska Republican corruption investigation has snagged two of the state's three members of Congress, one of their aides the ex-president of the state Senate, four state legislators, two VECO executives, and two lobbyists.

AlaskaReport's ongoing Alaska corruption coverage:

Alaska fishermen shout at Ted Stevens in Kodiak. Stevens lated lied to a reporter and denied the incident occurred.

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