WASHINGTON — The final leg of ex-Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens’ life was a bumpy one filled with misfortune and fortune.
He was convicted on federal public corruption charges, but fortunately for him, the case was tossed out for prosecutorial misconduct. He lost a bid for re-election after 40 years in the Senate. And then on Monday, he was among five people who died in a plane crash in remote Southwest Alaska.
The Anchorage Daily News on Tuesday reported the death, saying three others aboard survived.
Stevens, 86, who was considered a dogged advocate for Alaska, landed in big trouble after federal authorities indicted him in July 2008 on public corruption charges. On Oct. 27, days before the election, he was convicted. He went on to lose his bid for re-election.
But fortune returned. Five months later, the Justice Department moved to dismiss the case on the grounds of prosecutorial misconduct. Simply put: the case was a disaster and an utter embarrassment for the government.
