A federal grand jury in Washington has indicted Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens on 7 felony counts of making false statements in connection with a 4-year-long corruption probe, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The 84-year-old Republican is charged with failing to report on Senate financial disclosure forms gifts of more than $250,000 from Veco Corp., an Alaska oil services company, and its CEO. Stevens will be allowed to turn himself in, a Justice official said at a press conference this afternoon.
The unreported gifts, over an 8-year period, include extensive renovations to Stevens' home, as well as a gas grill, furniture and a car. During the same period, the senator used his office to assist the company, the indictment said. But no bribery charges were filed, the Justice official said at today's press conference, because no specific actions by Stevens in return for the gifts were alleged.
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