Prosecutors and Stevens’s Defense Tussle Over Trial Status

Government lawyers and those representing Sen. Ted Stevens can’t seem to agree on a joint statement citing the status of the criminal case against the Alaska Republican.

So, both sides filed competing statements on Monday and a few subtle differences are worth noting.

Among the gifts that Stevens allegedly received from “personal friends,” the government cited a $2,695 massage chair for his Washington, DC home; a $3,200 hand-made stained glass window for his home; and a sled dog valued at $1,000.

Stevens’s lawyers chose not to mention the value of the items, simply referring to them as “stained glass,” “a dog,” and a “chair.”

Stevens is accused of seven counts of concealing more than $250,000 of gifts from VECO, a now-defunct Alaskan oil-services company. He has pleaded not guilty, and the trial is slated to begin later this month and could conclude before Election Day. Both statements Monday repeat those basic charges, with Stevens’s lawyers proclaiming his innocence.

–J. Taylor Rushing