Washington, D.C. – Campaign Money Watch, a nonpartisan campaign finance watchdog group, today called on Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) to release the donors to his legal defense fund before Election Day so that voters will know who is helping him fight federal criminal charges stemming from an investigation into influence-peddling by oil services provider VECO Corp.

Under U.S. Senate rules, a candidate’s legal defense fund is required only to file quarterly reports disclosing most donors. With a filing required in mid-October on paper only, voters would have little ability to see who has helped Stevens mount his legal defense – and have no knowledge at all about any donations made after September 30.

“In pressing for a speedy trial, Ted Stevens has argued that voters should know everything about his guilt or innocence before Election Day,” said David Donnelly, director of Campaign Money Watch. “If that’s the case for his trial, then why not go the additional step and answer the question, ‘Who are the big money donors paying for his legal defense fund?’ Surely, the public has the right to know, and would benefit from knowing before November 4.”

In a statement issued July 31, Stevens said, “I am pleased that the Judge has set a speedy trial date, which should allow ample time for a decision before the general election. I am looking forward to this trial as a way of finally showing the truth – that I am innocent.”

Campaign Money Watch recently launched a TV ad campaign in Alaska describing how Washington, D.C., works well for both big money contributors and politicians like Stevens who need that money for re-election campaigns, but not so well for average voters. The ad is the first wave of advertising the group has planned for this Fall, and can be seen at http://www.campaignmoney.org/stevens.

Campaign Money Watch is a project of the nonpartisan Public Campaign Action Fund. The organization works to hold politicians who are against comprehensive campaign finance reform accountable for where they get their political donations.