Good News For Senator Stevens: He can keep his congressional pension

By Ken Silverstein

Ted Stevens was found guilty today of having “knowingly failed to list on Senate disclosure forms the receipt of several gifts and tens of thousands of dollars worth of remodeling work on his home in Girdwood, Alaska.” He could be sentenced to jail time and may have a hard time winning re-election, but no matter what happens, there’s a bit of good news for Stevens too: he can hold on to his congressional pension.

The “Honest Leadership and Open Government Act” that passed last year stripped members of congress of receiving pension benefits if convicted of certain crimes, such as bribery or perjury. But it didn’t include violations of the False Statements Act, so Stevens would get a monthly check even in the extremely unlikely even that he gets a prison sentence. Stevens’ pension as of next year would come to about $10,000 a month.

About a score of convicted lawmakers are already receiving federal pensions.