Stevens will continue fight for Alaska

Ted Stevens (pictured), the longest-serving Republican in the US Senate, has been found guilty of lying about free gifts he received from an oil contractor. Stevens, 84, who is the senior senator for Alaska, had been hoping to win re-election next week when Americans go to the polls, but last night he faced the end of his 40-year political career and the prospect of a period in jail.

His downfall will not please John McCain, whose efforts to run an anti-sleaze ticket have already been compromised by the Troopergate inquiry, which found that his running mate, Sarah Palin, had used her position as Governor of Alaska to settle a personal score.

Stevens’s month-long trial revealed that employees of VECO Corp., an oil services company, transformed a modest mountain cabin owned by the senator into a modern, two-storey home with porches, a sauna and a wine cellar. He also received other gifts, including a sled dog, and a massage chair. The senator insisted he had no idea he was getting freebies. He said he paid $160,000 for the project and believed that covered everything.

What makes matter worse for McCain is that Stevens says he will continue to fight for his seat in the Senate. He has managed to remain neck and neck with his opponent since the trial began, despite being unable to campaign in person. And despite his conviction, he is not required to drop out of the race or resign, because there is no rule barring criminals from serving in Congress.

After the trial, Stevens said on Monday: "I am obviously disappointed in the verdict but not surprised given the repeated instances of prosecutorial misconduct in this case. 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".