Senator Stevens Warned a Friend That Jail Was a Risk

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WASHINGTON — The day after the F.B.I. confronted Bill Allen, an Alaska oil services millionaire, with evidence that he had tried to bribe state lawmakers, he reached out to Senator Ted Stevens by telephone to discuss how their relationship might also be the subject of a corruption investigation.

Mr. Stevens did not know that Mr. Allen had agreed to cooperate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which was listening in and recording the call on Aug. 31, 2006, as it would with two others in the following weeks.

In the three conversations between Mr. Stevens and Mr. Allen played for a federal jury on Monday, Mr. Stevens repeatedly says he believes they did nothing wrong, but also raises the possibility they could go to jail if they are not careful.

“They’re not going to shoot us,” Mr. Stevens reassured Mr. Allen on Oct. 18, 2006. “It’s not Iraq.” At worst, he said, “we might have to pay a fine and serve a little time in jail.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/washington/07stevens.html?th&emc=th