Democratic National Committee:
Sen. Ted Stevens, the 83-year-old Republican senator from Alaska who has served longer than any other incumbent, is now under investigation by the Justice Department for corruption.
At the heart of the investigation is a renovation project in 2000 that more than doubled the size of Stevens' home in the resort town of Girdwood. The remodeling work was supervised by Bill Allen, a contractor who pled guilty to bribing Alaska state legislators.
Federal investigators are now asking who paid for the home improvements--and what Allen might have received in return for the work.
Allen is also founder of VECO Corp., an Alaska-based oil field services and engineering company that has reaped tens of millions of dollars in federal contracts. He is now cooperating with the FBI.
"The worst thing about this investigation is that it does change your life in terms of employment potential," Stevens said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It doesn't matter what anyone says, it does shake you up. If this is still hanging around a year from November, it could cause me some trouble."
Last week, Alaska Democratic Party Chair Jake Metcalfe demanded some answers:
"Sen. Stevens continues to refuse to answer questions about his actions," Metcalfe said. "He owes Alaskans more than the excuse that his lawyers have told him not to comment."
