Sen. Ted Stevens testified Friday he did not know his Senate financial disclosure forms omitted information about donated work on his Alaska cabin as his trial on corruption charges continued Friday in federal court in Washington.
Government prosecutors accuse the Alaska Republican of lying on the forms to conceal work funded by Bill Allen, an oil industry executive who stood to benefit from Mr. Stevens friendship.
His testimony Friday in U.S. District Court largely repeated his wifes statements one day earlier that she handled the bills for the remodeling while Mr. Stevens was in Washington.
Catherine Stevens testified she paid $160,000 for the remodeling but the Justice Department says the true value is $250,000 more than the Stevens paid.
She got all the bills and she paid all the bills, Mr. Stevens said.
His attorney, Brendan Sullivan, showed a photograph in court of a deck installed around the A-frame cabin and asked the Alaska Republican whether he approved the work before the deck was installed.
I was never told it was going to go in there, Mr. Stevens said.
Mr. Stevens also strongly denounced testimony from Mr. Allen, a one-time drinking and fishing buddy of Stevens who has pleaded guilty to bribing state legislators and is now the government’s star witness.
Mr. Allen has testified that Mr. Stevens knew the bills did not reflect all the work being done and just wanted invoices to protect himself legally.
“That’s just an absolute lie,” said Mr. Stevens, who sat stone-faced during Mr. Allen’s testimony. “I heard it. It’s an absolute lie.”
Much of the defense evidence Friday consisted of Mr. Sullivan showing photos and invoices, then e-mails from the senator to friends and his wife demonstrating he was unaware of the extent of the remodeling work and how much it would cost.
I pay my bills wherever I am, Mr. Stevens said. Its true in Washington too. If I go to lunch with people, I pay my own bill.
At one point, Mr. Sullivan asked Mr. Stevens about a large stained glass window ins talled in the cabin during the remodeling.
Who purchases art in your home, Mr. Sullivan asked.
Catherine does, Mr. Stevens said.
Did you know anything about the value of the stained glass piece, Mr. Sullivan said.
No, I did not, Mr. Stevens said.
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