Stevens attorneys allege secret exchange

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Attorneys for U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, allege prosecutors secretly provided a trial judge with information about a disgruntled witness.

Defense attorneys accused prosecutors of altering a previous agreement by secretly submitting information about a key government witness, David Anderson, to U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, the Anchorage Daily News said Wednesday.

Government prosecutors had vowed to provide information about Anderson's testimony in Stevens' trial. The senator was convicted of not reporting to the Senate details about a number of gifts he had received.

Anderson, nephew of Veco Corp. chief executive Bill Allen, has alleged portions of his testimony in the case were false, the report said.

That legal bombshell prompted defense lawyers to demand the release of information regarding Anderson's testimony.

The Daily News said the defense's filing on Wednesday alleged the release was inappropriate since prosecutors prevented them from having access by secretly sending it to the Washington judge.