more on Stevens (R) corruption

U.S. Sen. Stevens' home searched by FBI

WASHINGTON - Federal agents searching the Alaska home of Republican Sen. Ted Stevens appeared particularly interested in cases of wine stored in the senator's house, an attorney briefed on the raid said.

Investigators photographed the cases and the individual bottles Monday along with other items from Stevens' home as part of a public corruption investigation that stretches from Alaska to Washington.

Stevens, 83, is under a federal investigation for his relationship with Bill Allen, an oil field services contractor who was convicted this year of bribing state lawmakers.

Stevens was aware for some time that investigators wanted to search the house, the attorney said Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case.

Allen oversaw a 2000 renovation project that more than doubled the size of Stevens' home in the ski resort community of Girdwood. Allen is the founder of VECO Corp., an Alaska-based oil field services and engineering company that has reaped tens of millions of dollars in federal contracts.

Contractors said they submitted bills to Allen, then received checks from Stevens. The senator has said he paid for all the improvements himself.

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