Ted Stevens

Ted Stevens was the Republican senator from Alaska, and was the longest-serving republican in the United States Senate. Stevens had served continuously since 1968.http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/08/10/ted.stevens.bio/

According to reports, Stevens was believed to have been on board a prop plane that crashed near the town of Dillingham, in southwest Alaska, on the evening of August 9, 2010. As many as five of the nine passengers thought to be on board the plane were reportedly killed in the crash. CNN was reporting on the afternoon of August 10, 2010, that Stevens was among the fatalities. A spokesperson for the Alaska Air National Guard told CNN that rescue crews were attempting to "get at least three injured people away from the scene," adding that "there may be more survivors." The identities of the injured were not immediately available.http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/10/alaska.plane.crash/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1 Reports said that former NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe was on board the aircraft; there was no immediate word on his condition.http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ted-stevens-plane-crash/story?id=11364387

Former Alaska Republican Senator Ted Stevens has reportedly been killed in a plane crash.

Stevens has served in government since the 1950s, working with Eisenhower's Interior Department.Ted Stevens for Senate: About Ted Stevens moved to Alaska in 1953 to pursue a job at a law firm in Fairbanks. He 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, but lost his seat during fierce re-election campaign with Mark Begich which required a vote recount.Ted Stevens for Senate: About Ted

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.CNN: Stevens leads fight for oil drilling (March 18, 2005) Stevens endorsed Sarah Palin for vice presidential candidate. Palin has served as the director of a 527 fund raising group for Stevens that was criticized for violating ethical, and possibly also legal, rules of campaign contributions.Washington Post: Palin Was a Director of... (September 1, 2008)

Ted Stevens lost his Senate seat after a two-week recount showed challenger Mark Begich ahead by 3,724 votes. Begich beat Stevens by a margin of 47.8% to 46.6%. This is a reversal of the initial vote count, which had Stevens ahead, 48% to 47%.MLive: Stevens loses race to Begich (November 18, 2008)

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."Department of Justice: U.S. Senator Indicted on False Statement Charges (July 29, 2008)

Ted Stevens' corruption trial got underway in late September 2008. After weeks of testimony a federal judge dismissed one of the jurors on October 26, 2008, after losing contact with her following her father's death. A new juror was chosen on the following day so the trial could resume, and later that same day, the jury returned a guilty verdict against Stevens on each of the seven felony counts against him.CNN: Deliberations in Stevens trial resume with alternate juror (October 27, 2008)CNN: Jury finds Stevens guilty on corruption charges (October 27, 2008)

The conviction was later thrown out of court after the Justice Department admitted that prosecutors mishandled evidence. The six prosecutors will be investigated for improper conduct. All seven charges against Stevens were dropped.WashingtonPost.com: Judge Tosses Out Stevens Conviction