WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON -
In a stunning verdict yesterday that imperils the tenure of the Senate's longest-serving Republican, a federal jury found Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska guilty of concealing tens of thousands of dollars in gifts and improvements to his home.
Stevens, 84, reacted pugnaciously, attacking the Justice Department and vowing to continue campaigning for re-election to his seventh term next Tuesday.
"I am obviously disappointed in the verdict but not surprised, given the repeated instances of prosecutorial misconduct in this case," he said in a statement. "I will fight this unjust verdict with every ounce of energy I have."
He asked Alaskans and his Senate colleagues to "stand with me as I pursue my rights."
Stevens, who once stood third in line to the presidency, has managed to remain neck-and-neck with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich since the trial began, despite being unable to campaign.
The conviction boosts Democrats' hopes of reaching a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Democrats control the Senate, 51-49, with the help of two independents but need 60 seats to overcome Republican-led filibusters that have stymied Democratic initiatives.
Senate rules do not automatically bar convicted felons from serving, and it would take a two-thirds vote to expel Stevens if he were re-elected. The chamber has not expelled anyone in more than a century. If Stevens were forced to step down, a special election would be held to determine his replacement.
Some Republicans already appeared to discount the chances that he would return to Washington.
"Senator Stevens had his day in court, and the jury found he violated the public's trust. As a result he is properly being held accountable," said Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada. "This is a reminder that no one is above the law."
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, also appeared to distance herself from her home-state lawmaker, using the conviction as an opportunity to trumpet her anti-corruption credentials.
The four-week trial shone a light on Stevens' relationship with millionaire oilman Bill J. Allen, who once owned the state's largest private employer and who, with others, plied Stevens with more than $250,000 in gifts and improvements to his home in Alaska.
Allen, who pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges in 2007, was the star witness for the prosecution against Stevens.
