Defense renews bid to get corruption case against Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens thrown out

October 06 12:05:04 PM, LA Times

Attorneys for Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens on Sunday renewed their effort to get a federal corruption case against him thrown out, saying prosecutors had manipulated the story of their star witness to undermine the defense.

WASHINGTON -- Attorneys for Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens on Sunday renewed their effort to get a federal corruption case against him thrown out, saying prosecutors had manipulated the story of their star witness to undermine the defense.

U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan rejected a similar effort Friday after prosecutors said they would share withheld documents with the defense.

Stevens, 84, is charged with lying on Senate financial disclosure forms about more than $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts from oil pipeline magnate Bill Allen, who was to have testified again today.

The latest motion says the newly disclosed documents show Allen originally told investigators that he believed Stevens would have paid for work on the home if billed -- proof, the defense says, that the Republican senator never intended to hide anything.

Late Sunday, Sullivan ordered the government to file its response by 8 a.m. EST today and scheduled a hearing for 9 a.m.

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