Powell says Stevens reputation 'sterling'

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, on trial for allegedly accepting political favors, has a "sterling" reputation.

Powell appeared as a character witness Friday on the second day of Stevens' trial in Washington, where he stands accused of accepting $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts from an oil company executive, The Washington Times reported.

Asked by defense attorneys to describe Stevens' reputation for honesty and integrity, Powell, a retired four-star U.S. Army general, answered, "In a word, sterling. As we say in the infantry, this is a guy you take on a long patrol."

Powell added that he has known the Alaska senator for about a quarter-century, much of it when they worked together on military budgets with the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Times reported.

Stevens says his failure to report the home renovations was an innocent mistake made by his wife, who erroneously believed Stevens, 84, had paid for the upgrades while he was in Washington.