Key players in the trial of Sen. Ted Stevens

By The Associated Press – 50 minutes ago

A look at the key players in the trial of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska. Jury selection begins Monday:

THE DEFENSE

TED STEVENS: At 84, Stevens is the Senate’s longest-serving Republican and long has been Alaska’s political patriarch. He is charged with lying about more than $250,000 in gifts and home renovations he received from corrupt oil field services contractor Bill Allen. He faces five years in prison on each of seven counts. Stevens steadfastly maintains his innocence and asked for a speedy trial in hopes of being vindicated before Election Day, which is Nov. 4.

BRENDAN SULLIVAN: Sullivan is among the best and most respected trial lawyers in the country. He has represented several political figures in corruption scandals and, when 18 states decided to sue Microsoft for antitrust violations, they tapped Sullivan as their lawyer. He is perhaps most famous for representing Oliver North in the Iran-Contra scandal. During a congressional hearing, when a senator pressed him to stop objecting on North’s behalf, Sullivan famously quipped: “Well sir, I’m not a potted plant. I’m here as the lawyer. That’s my job.”

THE GOVERNMENT

BRENDA MORRIS: A longtime prosecutor with the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, Morris now serves as its principal deputy. She has helped supervise the investigation into disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and has prosecuted corruption cases around the country. She teaches corruption investigations within the Justice Department and is a professor at Georgetown Law School.

NICHOLAS MARSH: One of two Public Integrity trial attorneys on the case, Marsh handled much of the courtroom work during the trials of Alaska lawmakers caught up in the scandal. He has been part of numerous other public corruption investigations, including a scheme in Mississippi to defraud a $400 billion fen-phen settlement.

EDWARD SULLIVAN: The other Public Integrity trial attorney in the case, Sullivan has been part of the trial team that won convictions of several Alaska lawmakers caught up in the corruption scandal. The Public Integrity team is also joined by two federal prosecutors from Alaska, James Goeke and Joseph Bottini.

THE JUDGE:

EMMET G. SULLIVAN: A longtime judge in federal and municipal courtrooms, Sullivan has been named to the bench by presidents of both parties. President Reagan named him to Washington’s Superior Court in 1991. The first President Bush appointed him to the city’s appeals court in 1991. President Clinton named him to the federal bench in 1994.

THE KEY WITNESS:

BILL ALLEN: Allen is the founder of VECO Corp., the once-powerful Alaska oil services company that is now owned by Denver-based CH2M Hill. Allen has pleaded guilty, admitting that he and his vice president, Rick Smith, bribed state lawmakers to push for oil-friendly legislation. Allen and Stevens were friends, and Allen is expected to testify that he provided numerous favors for Stevens. Allen has suffered from speech problems since a 2001 motorcycle accident and, in previous court appearances, has sometimes appeared slow to understand and answer questions.