Ben Was Paid Over $70,000 By SEMCO Energy, Which Received $2 Million In Earmarked Federal Funds From Ted.

In Late 2005, Sen. Ted Stevens pressed state officials to reserve $2 million in earmarked federal money for a pipeline project being conducted by a gas company that employed Stevens’ son, Ben.

Stevens, Rep. Don Young and Sen. Lisa Murkowski wrote a letter to the Alaska Department of Transportation on Nov. 9, 2005, to “more clearly explain the Congressional intent” of a $2 million earmark in the 2005 highway bill, known as SAFETEA-LU. The letter clarified that the money was intended for the project Ben Stevens’ company was working on, and the company was named in the letter.

Stevens, Young and Murkowski’s letter pointed out the 2005 omnibus appropriations bill set aside an additional $2 million “to allow ENSTAR Natural Gas and ASRC Energy Service to move forward on a feasibility study along the Parks Highway for the construction of a spur line from Fairbanks to Anchorage.” They added: “The intent of the two million dollars in SAFETEA-LU is to continue the Parks Highway Spur study begun under the DOE project.”

ENSTAR Natural Gas is a subsidiary of SEMCO Energy, a Michigan-based energy company. Ben Stevens has served on the board of SEMCO since 2004 and was paid $77,810 for his service in 2006.

The $2 million earmark was not included in the House version of the SAFETEA-LU bill and was added in the Senate, where Stevens chaired the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which had jurisdiction. [Stevens, Son Press Project, Roll Call, 6/7/2007]