Stevens asked to give up committee seats

1 Aug 2007 // A day after his home was searched by federal agents, there were calls tonight for Sen. Ted Stevens to step down from his committee assignments until the federal probe is completed.

Reports on the Stevens investigation are forthcoming tonight from Seward all the way to Washington, D.C. It seems the senator's troubles are no longer a private matter.

Stevens is now the subject of intense scrutiny, perhaps the most in his 39 year career, all generated by the house call made yesterday by the FBI.

Stevens was forced to walk a gauntlet of photographers today in the halls of the Capitol, one day after federal agents used their own cameras to document every nook and cranny of his home in Girdwood.

FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents spent 12 hours inside and outside Stevens' home, documenting everything from wall fixtures to bottles of wine.

CNN today quoted an unnamed attorney as saying the wine is of particular interest to investigators.

Stevens has acknowledged he is a target of an ever-widening investigation into political corruption in Alaska.

His Girdwood home was remodeled in 2000 under the direction of former VECO CEO Bill Allen, who pleaded guilty two months ago to bribing state lawmakers.

Contractor Augie Paone told Channel 2 News in May that the remodel bills were first sent through Allen and not directly billed to Stevens or his family.

"They kind of overviewed the billings and after they saw them it was just faxed over to the senator and the senator a few days later just mailed me a check," Paone said in May.

Stevens said he paid every bill out of his own pocket, but beyond that, he will offer no further insight into the remodeling job or grand jury investigation.

"I put out a statement. The statement's there and it says I do not comment on things that are under investigation. Thank you," Stevens said in May.

Tonight, the FBI probe hit the national press. Chris Matthews, who hosts the popular MSNBC political show "Hardball," asked whether it was time for Congress's longest-serving Republican to step aside.

Stevens continues to comment only in writing. He issued this statement last night: "I continue to believe this investigation should proceed to its conclusion without any appearance that I have attempted to influence its outcome. I will continue my policy of not commenting on this investigation until it has concluded."

When Dana Bash with CNN asked the senator about the current investigation, Stevens replied that he was not saying anything about the investigation.

When she pressed him for an answer, he replied sharply, "Can you understand English? That's the only statement I'm going to make."

Two national watchdog groups are calling for Stevens to step down from his committee assignments until the investigation is complete.

Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, said at the least, Stevens should step down from his Senate Appropriations Subcommittee seat that oversees the budget for the Department of Justice.

"It doesn't seem too much to ask that when a member has their home searched as part of a criminal investigation, they lose their very plum committee assignments, and there's nothing better than being on the appropriations committee," Sloan said.

Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense agrees.

"With the stakes so high, for at least the time period that he's under investigation, he should step down. If he is exonerated in this process it will be a blip in his career. If more serious happens, then the rest of the country will be happy he stepped out of the way sooner rather than later," Ellis said in a phone interview.

The group wrote a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell today asking him to make the request of Stevens himself.

But for now, Stevens' colleagues on both sides of the aisle are reserving judgment.

"Sen. Stevens has four decades of service in the United States Senate. He is, as we all know, the longest serving Republican senator in history. I'll certainly be discussing the matter with my conference, but I don't have any announcements to make today in regards to that," said McConnell, R-Kentucky.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he is not rushing to judgment.

"We still live in America and someone has to be given the benefit of the doubt," said Reid, D-Nevada.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski released a statement saying its not appropriate to jump to conclusions until the process is complete.

The U.S House passed a new ethics bill today that would bar lawmakers from accepting gifts and require them to certify that neither themselves nor family members would benefit from federal earmarks.

An aide to Stevens said the senator supports ethics reform.

The Associated Press is reporting tonight that a financial clerk on the Senate Commerce Committee who helped maintain Stevens' personal financial records was called before a federal grand jury in Washington D.C. to testify about the senator's records.

The AP said Barbara Flanders was questioned at length about Stevens' home remodeling project. She would not comment about her testimony today.

There does not seem to be any precedent for a sitting senator to recuse himself while under investigation, but it has apparently become expected across the hall in the House.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics said at least four House members have stepped down from committee seats while part of a federal investigation, including Arizona Democrat Rep. Rick Renzi, who is under investigation for a questionable land deal, and California Rep. John Doolittle, under investigation for financial ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Doolittle has stepped down from his seat on the House Appropriations Committee. There is absolutely no indication tonight, though, that Stevens is considering following suit. Democrats, who control the Senate, cannot force him to step down.

Stevens has hired high-powered defense attorney Brendan Sullivan Jr. Sullivan is best known for representing Lt. Col. Oliver North during the Iran-Contra scandal. In 2006, the Legal Times identified Sullivan as "the leading lawyer in white collar criminal defense"