Editing Ted Stevens (section)

===Home remodeling and VECO===
[[File:Senator Ted Stevens Girdwood Alaska house.jpg|thumb|Stevens's home in [[Girdwood, Anchorage|Girdwood]], [[Alaska]]]]

On May 29, 2007, the ''[[Alaska Dispatch News|Anchorage Daily News]]'' reported that the [[FBI]] and a federal grand jury were investigating an extensive remodeling project at Stevens's home in [[Girdwood, Anchorage|Girdwood]]. Stevens's Alaska home was raided by the FBI and [[IRS]] on July 30, 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/31/washington/31stevens.html|title=Alaska Home of Senator Is Raided by U.S. Agents|first=Philip|last=Shenon|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 31, 2007|access-date=August 11, 2010|archive-date=December 10, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210161415/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/31/washington/31stevens.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The remodeling work doubled the size of the modest home. The remodel in 2000 was organized by [[Bill Allen (corporate CEO)|Bill Allen]], a founder of the [[VECO Corporation]] (an oil-field service company) and was alleged by prosecutors to have cost VECO and the various contractors $250,000 or more.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.adn.com/news/politics/story/8928969p-8829178c.html |title=Feds eye Stevens's home remodeling project |work=[[Anchorage Daily News]] |date=May 29, 2007 |first=Richard |last=Mauer |access-date=August 21, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070819164731/http://www.adn.com/news/politics/story/8928969p-8829178c.html |archive-date=August 19, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, the residential contractor who finished the renovation for VECO, Augie Paone, "believes the [Stevens's] remodeling could have cost{{snd}}if all the work was done efficiently{{snd}}around $130,000 to $150,000, close to the figure Stevens cited last year [referring to 2007]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alaskadispatch.com/features/2-features/14-bill-a-teds-excellent-adventure-the-dark-side-to-alaskas-political-corruption-scandal.html?tmpl=component&print=1&page= |title=Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure: The dark side to Alaska's political corruption scandal |first=Tony |last=Hopfinger|date=January 2, 2008|publisher=Alaska Dispatch |access-date=October 28, 2008 |archive-date=January 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116192040/http://www.alaskadispatch.com/features/2-features/14-bill-a-teds-excellent-adventure-the-dark-side-to-alaskas-political-corruption-scandal.html?tmpl=component&print=1&page= |url-status=dead }}</ref> Stevens paid $160,000 for the renovations "and assumed that covered everything".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hays|first1=Tom|last2=Holland|first2=Jesse J.|title=Judge refuses to end Stevens trial|work=North County Times|date=October 8, 2008|url=http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/10/08/news/nation/zfb065901ebae9882882574dc007b38fa.txt|access-date=November 5, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209015331/http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/10/08/news/nation/zfb065901ebae9882882574dc007b38fa.txt|archive-date=December 9, 2008}}</ref>

In June, the ''Anchorage Daily News'' reported that a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., heard evidence in May about the expansion of Stevens's Girdwood home and other matters connecting Stevens to VECO.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.adn.com/front/story/9006601p-8922071c.html |title=Grand jury examines Stevens's ties to Veco |work=Anchorage Daily News |date=June 17, 2007 |first=Richard |last=Mauer |access-date=August 21, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421224334/http://www.adn.com/front/story/9006601p-8922071c.html |archive-date=April 21, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In mid-June, FBI agents questioned several aides who worked for Stevens as part of the investigation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://eu.starnewsonline.com/story/news/2007/08/01/senate-aide-called-in-stevens-case/30316001007/|title=Sen. Stevens aides questioned in probe|agency=Associated Press|first=Matt|last=Apuzzo|date=June 19, 2007|access-date=May 24, 2023|archive-date=June 30, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630194542/https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/news/2007/08/01/senate-aide-called-in-stevens-case/30316001007/|url-status=live}}</ref> In July, ''[[Washingtonian (magazine)|Washingtonian]]'' magazine reported that Stevens had hired "Washington's most powerful and expensive lawyer", [[Brendan Sullivan (lawyer)|Brendan Sullivan]] Jr., in response to the investigation.<ref>The Stevenses paid $160,000 for the renovations. Eisler, [https://www.washingtonian.com/2007/07/01/sen-ted-stevens-hires-super-lawyer-brendan-sullivan/ "Sen. Ted Stevens Hires Super-Lawyer Brendan Sullivan"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814033348/https://www.washingtonian.com/2007/07/01/sen-ted-stevens-hires-super-lawyer-brendan-sullivan/ |date=August 14, 2016 }}, ''Washingtonian Magazine'', July 1, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2016.</ref> In 2006, during [[wiretap]]ped conversations with Bill Allen, shortly after the VECO offices were searched and Allen agreed to cooperate with the investigation, Stevens expressed worries over legal complications arising from the sweeping federal investigations into Alaskan politics. "The worst that can happen to us is we run up a bunch of legal fees, and might lose and we might have to pay a fine, might have to serve a little time in jail. I hope to Christ it never gets to that, and I don't think it will", Stevens said.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://community.adn.com/adn/node/132300 |title=adn.com &#124; Alaska Politics Blog : Stevens/Allen phone calls (Updated with transcripts) |website=Community.adn.com |author=Alaska_Politics |access-date=October 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010064426/http://community.adn.com/adn/node/132300 |archive-date=October 10, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="reuters jail">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE4957E420081007?sp=true|title=Sen. Stevens on tape: "might serve time in jail"|work=Reuters|date=October 6, 2008|access-date=October 6, 2008|first=Randall|last=Mikkelsen|archive-date=January 10, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110120404/http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE4957E420081007?sp=true|url-status=live}}</ref> Stevens continued, "I think they might be listening to this conversation right now, for Christ Sake."<ref>[https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/2008/10/07/95439217/ Taped Phone Conversations Played At Stevens Trial] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124140012/https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/2008/10/07/95439217/ |date=January 24, 2021 }}, ''[[NPR]]'', Nina Totenburg, October 7, 2008. Retrieved August 9, 2020.</ref> On the witness stand, Allen testified that VECO staff who had worked on his own house had charged "way too much", leaving him uncertain{{snd}}that he would be embarrassed to bill Stevens for overpriced labor.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/06/stevens.trial/index.html|title=Jury hears Sen. Stevens curse on wiretapped call|agency=CNN|date=October 6, 2008|access-date=October 28, 2008|archive-date=October 28, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028171915/http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/06/stevens.trial/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>