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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Young won’t be charged with corruption

Alaska’s only representative running for 20th term

Young
Rachel D’Oro Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Federal prosecutors have decided not to pursue an investigation of U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, over connections to an Alaska businessman convicted of bribing state lawmakers.

Young, 77, has been under investigation for several years, but documents filed in federal court last year first publicly linked him to a wide-ranging investigation of corruption in Alaska.

Young has denied any wrongdoing and repeatedly declined to speak on the matter, citing advice of his lawyers. His campaign has spent more than $1 million on his legal expenses.

Young’s legal team was notified Wednesday by the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice that the case will not be prosecuted, said Young spokeswoman Meredith Kenny. Young’s office issued a news release that was short on details but noted Young’s “full cooperation” in the probe. It did not say how Young’s lawyers were notified.

DOJ spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said the agency declined to comment.

Young is running for his 20th term this year and has a Republican challenger, political newcomer Sheldon Fisher, in the Aug. 24 Republican primary. Fisher did not see Wednesday’s announcement as exoneration. He said Young should release the DOJ correspondence clearing him of federal corruption charges.

“A decision that there is a lack of evidence to prosecute Mr. Young is not the same as being cleared of federal corruption,” he said in a statement.

In the federal documents filed in October, the state’s only representative in the House was identified as “United States Representative A” in connection with the sentencing of Bill Allen, a key figure in the corruption probes of state lawmakers and former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens.

The court papers alleged that Young illegally received gifts totaling nearly $200,000 over 13 years from VECO Corp., Allen’s oil-field services company.