Rep. Young and Sen. Stevens face criminal inquiries

Wednesday, July 25, 2007  

Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), two of the most powerful members of Congress, are facing criminal investigations, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Both lawmakers are linked to VECO Corp., the largest oil-field engineering firm in Alaska. The company has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Young and Stevens..

VECO is already under investigation for political corruption of Alaska state lawmakers. Now, the Department of Justice is trying to determine whether Young or Stevens accepted bribes, illegal gratuities or unreported gifts from the company, the Journal said.

Sen. Stevens' son, Ben Stevens, has been implicated. FBI agents raided Ben Stevens' office when he was serving in the state Legislature.

Get the Story:
Alaska's Young, Stevens Face Inquiry (The Wall Street Journal 7/25)

Relevant Links:
Rep. Don Young - http://donyoung.house.gov
Sen. Ted Stevens - http://stevens.senate.gov

Related Stories:
Editorial: Alaska embarrassed by Rep. Young again (7/23)
Rep. Young issues threat over Alaska Native funds (7/19)
Rep. Young spends more on legal fees than anyone (7/17)
Former Hill staffer to plead guilty in Abramoff probe (4/24)
Rep. Young intervened on behalf of Abramoff (1/25)