Put the Alaska Senate seat into the competitive race column, especially if Ted Stevens runs again as he's planning. Ole Ted has got some big problems brewing back home. We already knew he was under investigation. We knew the FBI raided his home. Now, we're getting a clearer picture of why:
Ex-Veco Corp. CEO Bill Allen admitted in court Friday that he had company employees work several months on a remodeling project at the Girdwood home of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens.
The former head of the oil field services company made the admission Friday while testifying in the federal corruption trial of a former state lawmaker.
Allen and former Veco vice president Rick Smith in May pleaded guilty to extortion, conspiracy and bribery of legislators.
Under cross-examination by defense attorney James Wendt, representing former state Rep. Pete Kott, Allen acknowledged that the more than $400,000 he admitted spending in the bribery charge was for other legislators - and for work done at the Girdwood home of Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the U.S. Senate.
"I don't think there was a lot of materials," Allen said. "There was some labor."
The workers were Veco employees, probably one to four at a time, Allen said. He said the work on the home lasted for "probably a couple of months." Later, he said it might have been as much as six months.
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