Senator Ted Stevens case dismissed

According to an Associated Press (AP) report dated April 7, Judge Emmett Sullivan dismissed a corruption conviction against former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens.

The judge gave a scathing report on the behavior of the prosecution. “In nearly 25 years on the bench, I’ve never seen anything approaching the mishandling and misconduct that I’ve seen in this case,” he said. Sullivan has appointed a special prosecutor to unravel the errant behavior of prosecutors in the politically charged case that many say led to the Democratic Party picking up an extra seat in the US Senate. The accused prosecutors consistently withheld crucial evidence in support of Republican Senator Stevens until just after the federal elections presumably insuring Democrat Mark Begich a narrow victory over the Republican incumbent. The case will likely end the careers of accused prosecutors Brenda Morris, No.2 corruption official and trainer; Public Integrity prosecutors Nicholas Marsh and Edward Sullivan; Alaska federal prosecutors Joseph Bottini and James Goeke, and William Welch. Welch supervises the Public Integrity section of the Department of Justice (DOJ). Mr. Stevens, his family standing beside him, pumped his fist in the air as the judge dismissed his case and vigorously scolded the team of prosecutors that put Stevens through the trial during the defining moments of his political campaign. The case has raised the ire of Republicans; some claim that the entire affair was political from the start and that a special election should be held to determine who represents Alaska. Meanwhile polls show Americans are more politically polarized than in recent history. The Justice Department had no immediate comment on the case and the accused prosecutors rejected requests for interviews and did not answer any questions for media. Paul O’Brien, the latest federal prosecutor assigned to the case, apologized to the judge on behalf of the DOJ. The derailed trial brings other cases against Republicans brought by these same individual prosecutors into question. According to an April 7 report in The Buffalo News, the legitimacy of a similar investigation into Republican Representative Don Young, also from Alaska, is now in question. Democrats, who already have a sweeping majority in both houses of Congress, are nearing a veto proof majority and Stevens' seat edged them closer in their battle to seize total control of Congress under a Democrat President. Leaving the courtroom where accused prosecution team was being scolded by the judge, Stevens posed for photos and gave what amounted to a victory speech. An AP report quoted Stevens outside the courthouse: “I’m going to enjoy this wonderful day.”