Sen. Stevens on tape: "might serve time in jail"

Sen. Stevens on tape: "might serve time in jail"

WASHINGTON - Sen. Ted Stevens told an oil-executive friend, in recordings played on Monday at the Alaska Republican's corruption trial, they both risked going to jail -- but he didn't think it would come to that.

"These guys can't hurt really us. They're not going to shoot us. It's not Iraq. What the hell?," Stevens told Bill Allen, founder of the former VECO Corp. oil-services firm based in Alaska.

Stevens is charged with lying on Senate disclosure forms from 2001 to 2006 to conceal more than $250,000 in renovations to his property and other gifts provided by VECO.

"The worst that can happen to us is we run up a bunch of legal fees, and might lose and we might have to pay a fine, might have to serve a little time in jail. I hope to Christ it never gets to that, and I don't think it will," Stevens said.

However, he said, "We've got a fight out there ahead of us, and we're going to win, because we didn't do anything wrong. You've got a right to spend all the money you've got to support the party you believe in."

Allen, who has pleaded guilty to bribing state lawmakers, was cooperating with a federal probe of corruption in Alaska and allowed his telephone calls to be recorded. Prosecutors played three conversations with Stevens that took place between August and October 2006.

The 84-year-old senator is seeking re-election in November after 40 years in the Senate. A verdict of guilty would make his re-election bid more difficult, meaning that the trial's outcome could influence the Democratic Party's attempt to tighten their hold on the U.S. Senate.

Stevens has denied the charges. He said his wife took care of financial matters. Defense attorneys have also accused the government of withholding evidence that could benefit Stevens and they are asking the court to dismiss the charges.