Stevens takes stand, denies charges

Sen. Ted Stevens began testifying Thursday in his defense against federal corruption charges, denying that he made false statements and engaged in a scheme to conceal gifts he received  from friends in Alaska.

Since it was first revealed last year he was under FBI investigation, the Alaska Republican has deflected questions about the gift-giving scandal, which includes allegations that an oil tycoon paid for major renovations that doubled the size of his once-modest house in Girdwood, Alaska.

{mosads}For the first time Thursday, Stevens began answering questions about his intention to pay a hefty tab for his home renovation and a slew of expensive gifts he allegedly received and failed to disclose on his Senate financial disclosure forms.

Stevens, 84, answered just three quick questions about the substance of the case before recounting his humble childhood to his rise in becoming the dominant figure in Alaskan politics for decades. In doing so, Stevens on Thursday became the first sitting senator to defend himself as a witness since New Jersey Democrat Harrison Williams did in 1981.

"When you signed those forms, did you believe they were accurate and truthful?" asked Brendan Sullivan, Stevens's veteran defense lawyer.

"Yes, sir," Stevens said calmly.

"Did you ever intend to file false statements?" Sullivan asked.

"No sir, I did not," Stevens said.

"Did you ever engage in a scheme to conceal from the Senate?"

"No sir," Stevens said.

On Friday, he will give two or three more hours of direct testimony before government prosecutors subject him to a lengthy and possibly contentious cross-examination.

How he fares under cross-examination will almost certainly weigh heavily with jurors. His wife, Catherine, testified Thursday that the couple paid every bill they received and would have paid more had the costs been disclosed to them. But her credibility seemed to take a hit after she struggled under cross-examination to explain how and why the couple received several gifts and major home modifications, including a first-floor wrap-around deck.

Jurors will likely begin deliberating early next week, giving them a full two weeks before the longest-serving Senate Republican faces Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) in the Nov. 4 election.

In his 25-minute testimony, Stevens highlighted key episodes from his life, including living through the Great Depression, his military service during World War II, his stint as a lifeguard during his college years, his time as a federal prosecutor, and his efforts that led to Alaska statehood in 1959.

Stevens recounted a harrowing experience in 1978, when en route to an Anchorage fundraiser, his first wife Ann was killed along with four friends in a plane crash.

"Five were killed," Stevens said of the crash. "And two of us who survived are in this room right now," referring to a friend in the audience.

After the senator's testimony concludes, the government will call three rebuttal witnesses, including two FBI agents. Closing arguments are expected Monday.