Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was expected to appear in federal court Thursday in Washington to answer charges that he falsified his Senate financial disclosure forms to conceal more than $250,000 in gifts.

Stevens, the Senate’s longest-serving Republican, was indicted July 29 on seven felony charges and is accused of concealing benefits from oil services company VECO Corp. and its former chief executive Bill Allen from 1999 to 2006.

The 84-year-old veteran lawmaker, who says he is innocent and plans to continue seeking re-election this year, dodged questions from reporters Wednesday, telling one group,“You guys are sort of wasting your time.”

Stevens did speak briefly to a meeting of Senate Republicans, according to several lawmakers in the room.

The gathering was called in part to discuss replacements for Stevens as ranking Republican on three Senate panels. Senate GOP rules required him to give up those posts after his indictment.

GOP senators tapped Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas to step in for Stevens on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Hutchison, who is planning a 2010 gubernatorial bid, is the third most senior Republican on the panel, after Stevens and presumed GOP presidential nominee John McCain of Arizona. She said she will stay on as ranking Republican on the Aviation Subcommittee as well.

Hutchison said she was happy to step in for Stevens, particularly because she expected that aviation issues would be on the committee’s agenda in the fall. In a written statement, Hutchison said she “had every expectation that Senator Stevens will return to his role as ranking member.”

Stevens, as required, also gave up his ranking position on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery.

Mississippi’s Thad Cochran, the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee, will take over Stevens’ role on the defense subcommittee, and New Mexico’s Pete V. Domenici will fill in for him on the Homeland Security panel.

Stevens’ indictment marks the latest chapter in an ongoing probe of corruption in Alaska politics. Allen and former VECO Vice President Richard L. Smith pleaded guilty in May 2007 to providing more than $400,000 in corrupt payments to Alaska public officials.

Two lobbyists and three Alaska state lawmakers have also been convicted in the scandal, including Peter Kott, the former speaker of the Alaska House, who was convicted of extortion, bribery and conspiracy last year and sentenced to six years in prison.

First posted July 30, 2008 8:12 p.m.