Stevens Grilled About Gifts, Home Remodeling

Oct. 20, 2008— -- Prosecutors grilled Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, at his federal corruption trial Monday, attempting to prove that the lawmaker concealed gifts and a major home renovation project.

Lead prosecutor Brenda Morris went through a series of e-mails and memos with Stevens that he'd sent to a friend and a former oil services company executive.

The prosecution has claimed in court that Stevens, 84, concealed $250,000 worth of gifts and home renovations by not reporting them on financial disclosure forms required by the U.S. Senate. A now-defunct oil services firm, Veco, and its ex-CEO Bill Allen paid for the overhaul to the senator's Girdwood, Alaska, home, according to the prosecution.

The defense has countered that the Stevenses paid more than $160,000 for the renovation project, but prosecutors attempted Monday to establish a solid connection between Stevens and Veco.

Morris noted that Stevens never once referenced another firm, Christensen Builders, which the defense has said was the general contractor on the Stevens' home renovation project. Instead, Morris said, Stevens referred numerous times to a project foreman who was employed by Veco.

The prosecution questioned Stevens about his wife's communications with Veco employees. Prosecutors entered into evidence a FedEx package receipt from 2001 sent to Bill Allen "attention Rocky Williams," a company employee who had worked as the foreman on the project.

During his testimony, Stevens maintained that the foreman had been employed by Veco at times and worked for Allen on other projects. While he was working on his house project, the foreman was not there with Veco.

Morris said to the senator, "Your wife knew ... your staff knew but you didn't."

Stevens was also shown a January 2006 invoice for plumbing work done at his house for $1,118, which was addressed to him but noted that Allen clearly paid for the labor with "Labor paid by Bill" on the invoice.