“I Love You, You Know,” and More Revelations from the Stevens Trial

[WSJ_law_blog]

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, left, listens to witness Bill Allen, right, being questioned by his Attorney Brendan Sullivan, second from left top, Oct. 6, 2008. Others depicted are Prosecution Attorneys Joseph Bottini, and Brenda Morris, seated second and third from left, and Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, second from right. (AP Photo/Dana Verkouteren)

Big day in the Ted Stevens trial: Judge Emmet G. Sullivan is scheduled to hold a hearing today on whether evidence allegedly withheld by the prosecution merits a mistrial. Meanwhile, the show continued yesterday, with the prosecution playing three taped conversations between Stevens and former Veco CEO Bill Allen. Stevens reportedly didn’t know that Allen, who faced evidence that he’d tried to bribe lawmakers, had agreed to cooperate with the Feds. Here are reports from the LAT and NYT.

Stevens is facing charges that he accepted and failed to report more than $250,000 in gifts — including home renovations — from Veco, an oil-services company.

Here are some of the more notable (and non-chronological) moments from the tapes:

Stevens: “They’re not going to shoot us. It’s not Iraq.” At worst, he said, “we might have to pay a fine and serve a little time in jail.” He added, “I hope to Christ it never gets to that, but I don’t think it will.”

Allen: [Apologizing to Stevens for their problems] “I love you, you know.”

Stevens: “Get out in the community. You’re not going to let this thing whip you.”

Stevens: “[Federal agents are] probably listening to this conversation right now.”

Allen: “Well, they’re not supposed to be.”