Prosecution In Sen. Stevens Trial Rests After Being Granted Last-Minute Testimony

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The prosecution in Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) rested its case Thursday afternoon after being allowed to have an additional witness to testify at the last minute.

The jury heard the testimony of Dave Anderson, a former VECO Corp. employee, who had worked on the renovations on Stevens' Alaska home. The home improvements are at the heart of the seven-count indictment against the senator, who is accused of "knowingly concealing" $250,000 worth of gifts from VECO.

The government's request to have Anderson take the stand was in response to U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan decision on Wednesday to exclude two key pieces of evidence: records about Anderson and another former VECO employee who had worked on the renovations, Rocky Williams; and evidence about a 1999 car swap between Stevens and former VECO chief executive Bill Allen, the government's star witness.

The judge's decision came after repeated rebukes to prosecutors in the course of two weeks for sending Williams home in Alaska without informing the court, and failing to turn over a copy of a check Allen gave Stevens as part of the car swap.

Sullivan had also admonished prosecutors for making an 11th hour disclosure about phone conversations between Allen and Stevens that were secretly recorded by the FBI, evidence the defense said could have changed their opening arguments and helped prove the senator's innocence.

Stevens lawyers are set to begin their case with testimony from former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI).