FBI searches Alaska state lawmakers’ offices
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) – FBI agents combed the offices
of six Alaska state lawmakers on Thursday as part of a criminal
investigation, according to local news reports and lawmakers
not targeted in the probe.
State Sen. Tom Wagoner said FBI warrants showed the agents
were seeking information on the states’s largest oil service
company, VECO, and the recently passed overhaul of state
oil-production taxes.
Among the lawmakers who received a warrant from the FBI was
state Senate President Ben Stevens, a Republican who is the son
of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens, the news reports and other
lawmakers said.
Wagoner, who was in the Anchorage legislative office
building to chair a hearing on an unrelated subject, said he
learned of the searches accidentally.
“I went up to see Ben Stevens and on the way I turned into
Cowdery’s office and I was turned away by an agent there,” said
Wagoner, a Republican from Kenai. He was unable to enter
Stevens’ office, either, he said. “There were federal agents in
the hallway,” he said.
Executives at privately held VECO are known to be big
contributors to state candidates, primarily Republicans. Chief
Executive and founder Bill Allen is known to be involved with
Republican affairs.
VECO officials were not immediately available for comment.
The lawmakers targeted in the probe were, in addition to
Stevens, Sens. John Cowdery of Anchorage, Donny Olson of Nome,
Reps. Pete Kott of Eagle River, Vic Kohring of Wasilla and
Bruce Weyhrauch of Juneau. All are Republicans except Olson, a
Democrat.
FBI agents also used warrants to search offices of three
state House members in Juneau, Eagle River and Wasilla,
according to local news reports.
During the afternoon raid, staffers and reporters mingled
in the hallway outside the offices being searched, and agents
were observed through drawn blinds searching papers.
House Speaker John Harris, a Republican from Valdez, said
he knew little about the searches.
“There’s no evidence of criminal activity on the part of
any legislators, as far as I know,” he said.