Holder orders charges dropped against Ted Stevens

Ted Stevens

Oops… sorry about that election thing Ted.

Attorney General Eric Holder has asked the judge in former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens corruption case to toss out the conviction of Stevens because Justice Department prosecutors withheld evidence from his defense team during his trial.

“I have determined that it is in the interest of justice to dismiss the indictment and not proceed with a new trial,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement released here in Washington DC Wednesday. He said the department must ensure that all cases are “handled fairly and consistent with its commitment to justice.”

Stevens, who served from December 24, 1968 until January 3, 2009, was the longest continuously serving Republican in the Senate.

On July 29, 2008, Stevens was indicted by a federal grand jury on seven counts of failing to report gifts received from VECO Corporation and its CEO Bill Allen on his Senate financial disclosure forms, formally charged with violation of provisions of the Ethics in Government Act. Stevens pleaded not guilty and asserted his right to a speedy trial, which began on September 25 in Washington, DC, to have the opportunity to clear his name before the November election.

However, on October 27, 2008, barely a week before the election, Stevens was found guilty on all seven counts.

Stevens lost his re-election bid to Democrat Mark Begich.

In a written statement released Wednesday morning, Stevens suggested he would have fared better in his losing November election had it not been for the “unfair” case against him.

“I always knew that there would be a day when the cloud that surrounded me would be removed. That day has finally come,” Stevens said. “It is unfortunate that an election was affected by proceedings now recognized as unfair. It was my great honor to serve the state of Alaska in the United States Senate for 40 years.”

“The misconduct of government prosecutors, and one or more FBI agents, was stunning. Not only did the government fail to disclose evidence of innocence, but instead intentionally hid that evidence and created false evidence that they provided to the defense,” said attorneys Brendan V. Sullivan Jr.

Sullivan commended Holder for his integrity.

via Justice Department seeks to drop Stevens case – More politics- msnbc.com.