The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that Alaska's sole representive, Don Young (R) is under criminal investigation for his ties to oil field contractor Veco.
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In recent months Alaskan politics have been shaken by the guilty pleas of the two top executives of Veco. The reprocussions of which include the charging of three former legislators with bribery.
The heat has also been put on Senator Ted (Tubes) Stevens and Rep. Young. Apparently the heat is getting hotter.
The Anchorage Daily News picked up the story and has the background info for those of you who don't follow politics in the great frozen North (global warming not whithstanding).
Young is being investigated for his alleged ties to VECO Corp., the Anchorage-based company whose former top two executives -- including former CEO Bill Allen -- have pleaded guilty to bribing Alaska state lawmakers, the Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources, reported on its Web site late Tuesday.
Some members of the Alaska state legislature had taken to calling themselves "The Corrupt Bastards Club". They were so proud of that, and so assured in their dominance of all things political that they had ball caps made up with that slogan above the bill. Corrupt bastards, indeed. So in the vein self descriptive slogans, we have this jewel from the article:
The Wall Street Journal said Allen held fundraisers called "the Pig Roast" for Young every August for 10 years. Public records show Young received $157,000 from VECO employees and its political action committee between 1996 and 2006.
Young has lawyered up to the tune of $250,000 this year. Nothing would give me more joy than seeing this arrogant sucker go down in a criminal case.