Alaska Senate President Ben Stevens drops his bid for re-election

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Juneau, Alaska   

By Dennis Zaki
Hounded by accusations of bribery, kickbacks, and shady deals with seafood processors, Alaska Senate President Ben Stevens has dropped his bid for re-election.

In a statement issued by his Anchorage office, Stevens said he decided not to run in part because the duties of office are taking time he would prefer to spend with his family.

Several readers to AlaskaReport said that they were contacted last week via telephone regarding Senator Stevens. Questions from a pollster were asked regarding their favorable or unfavorable opinion of him.

Spending 120 days in Juneau for the regular session, "plus the extra special sessions, makes it difficult for families with young children. Some legislators feel they can handle it, at least while the children are infants, but it becomes more challenging as children grow older," he said in the written statement.

Stevens' bid for re-election would have pitted him against Republican Reps. Norm Rokeberg and Lesil McGuire. Both are veteran lawmakers.

In a 2 1/2 hour hearing June 22nd at the Alaska Public Offices Commission, Ray Metcalfe, Chairman of the Republican Moderate Party, laid out his argument that for years Ben Stevens has been accepting back door bribes through the cover of consulting fees and illicit payments. Both are felonies under Alaska state law. Metcalfe alledges that Steven's has been paid $923,507 over the years in payments through the processors, various kickbacks, and funneled through the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board set up by his father, Alaska Senator Ted Stevens.

Stevens was appointed 2001 by former Gov. Tony Knowles to fill a seat vacated when former Sen. Drue Pearce resigned to take a job in Washington D.C. with the U.S. Department of Interior. He's the son of longtime U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens.