U.S. makes case against Stevens trial move

The U.S. government on Monday laid out a straightforward case against moving the trial of indicted Sen. Ted Stevens to Alaska, arguing that the longest-serving Republican senator should stand trial in the nation’s capital instead of his home state.

Justice Department lawyers Brenda Morris, Nicholas Marsh and Edward Sullivan said the case should remain in the District of Columbia “where the crimes were committed, where the indictment was properly returned and where all the parties and their counsel are located.”

{mosads}The lawyers go on to note that Stevens often resides in Washington while Congress is in session, he has selected local lawyers and filed financial disclosure forms in Washington. They note the senator has begun campaigning in Alaska, proclaiming his innocence at campaign events and potentially tainting a jury pool.

Stevens was indicted July 29 by a federal grand jury on seven felony counts of filing false financial disclosure statements to conceal $250,000 of gifts from an oil services company. The 84-year-old is serving his sixth term in the Senate and is campaigning for a seventh this fall.

Stevens’ two Washington attorneys, Brendan Sullivan and Robert Cary, both declined to comment on Monday’s filing. Their response is due on Wednesday. A hearing on the venue change request is scheduled for Aug. 20,

In the Aug. 4 request, Sullivan and Cary argued the case’s “center of gravity” was in Alaska, citing the location of most of the evidence and witnesses.

 Stevens has already won on one key request: An expedited trial schedule that anticipates a verdict by the end of October, allowing him to potentially face voters for re-election with a clear name. Judge Emmet Sullivan last week granted a request for swift jury selection, making possible a trial that could start on Sept. 24 and potentially finish before Election Day on Nov. 4.

It is still an open question whether Stevens will even survive the Aug. 26 GOP primary in Alaska, where he faces six challengers. The Democratic opponent is likely to be Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich.