Ted Stevens

Ted Stevens, the senior Republican Senator from Alaska, is the longest-serving Republican in the United States Senate, having served continuously since 1968. Stevens has served in government since the 1950s, working with Eisenhower's Interior Department.¹

Stevens is currently under investigation by the IRS and FBI for corruption and ethics violations and was indicted on July 29, 2008, for failure to disclose more than $250,000 in gifts.²

Stevens endorsed Sarah Palin for vice presidential candidate. Palin has served as the director of a 527 fundraising group for Stevens that was criticized for violating ethical, and possibly also legal, rules of campaign contributions.³

Fast Facts

1. Born on November 18, 1923
2. Assumed office: December 24, 1968
3. Party: Republican
4. Spouse: Catherine Ann Chandler
5. Religion: Episcopalian
6. Veteran of World War II
7. Former chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations
8. July 29, 2008: Indicted and charged with multiple counts of making false statements on financial disclosure forms²
9. Has endorsed Palin for vice presidential candidate in the Election 2008³

Senator from Alaska

Stevens moved to Alaska in 1953 to pursue a job at a law firm in Fairbanks and soon became the U.S. Attorney for Fairbanks who developed a reputation for being tough on crime. Stevens ran for the Republican nomination for the open Senate seat from Alaska in 1968, but lost a tough primary fight. However, he was appointed in December 1968 after the death of Senator Bob Bartlett. He has served in the Senate since 1968.¹

Alaska Issues

Stevens has been a strong proponent for opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration and drilling. He has also been in favor of increased logging in his state, including a plan that would clear cut 2.4 million acres of old-growth forest.⁴

Internet Neutrality

During a Senate hearing on Internet neutrality, Stevens delivered a speech in opposition of 'Net neutrality, claiming, "The Internet is not a big truck...it's a series of tubes."⁵ The gaffe quickly circulated amongst late night talk shows and the Internet, eventually becoming an Internet meme.⁶

Indictment

On July 29, 2008, Senator Ted Stevens was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to a corruption probe. The indictment alleges that the Alaska Republican did not report renovations done on his home in Girdwood, Alaska, by VECO Corporation. The senator is also accused of hiding hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts from VECO Corporation and its CEO, Bill Allen. VECO is an Alaska-based oil services company. The indictment alleges Stevens engaged "in a nearly eight-year scheme to conceal his receipt of more than $250,000 in things of value from VECO Corporation."²

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