December 21, 2008

Disgraced Cowdery guilty of conspiracy

Dirty senator bribed Ben Stevens

Despite lying for months about his innocence, former Alaska Republican state senator John Cowdery pleaded guilty Friday to bribery charges involving disgraced ex-Senate President Ben Stevens.

Cowdery, 78, pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe Ben Stevens, identified as "State Senator A" in the government's documents, by offering him $10,000 in campaign contributions for support of oil tax legislation in 2006. Stevens, along with his father, disgraced US Senator Ted Stevens, also conspired for years to funnel taxpayer money to various fisheries agencies setup by the senior Stevens which then gave illegal kickbacks to his son Ben. Those crimes are still under investigation.

Cowdery admitted to conspiring with Bill Allen, the crooked former president of the now defunct VECO Corp., and Richard L. Smith, a former VECO vice president, to offer campaign contributions in exchange for Ben Stevens' support of a proposed petroleum profits tax.

Allen and Smith pleaded guilty in May 2007 and are awaiting sentencing. Cowdery faces home confinement and a relatively small fine when sentenced.