NPR reports DOJ Will Drop Charges Against Ted Stevens

NPR is reporting that the Department of Justice will drop all charges against former US Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska.

A jury had convicted Stevens last fall of seven counts of lying in order to conceal gifts.

According to Justice Department officials, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has decided to drop the case against Stevens rather than continue to defend the conviction in the face of persistent problems stemming from the actions of prosecutors.

The judge in the Stevens case has repeatedly delayed sentencing and criticized trial prosecutors for what he's called prosecutorial misconduct. At one point, prosecutors were held in contempt. Things got so bad that the Justice Department finally replaced the trial team, including top-ranking officials in the office of public integrity.

If true, it means that the voters administered the only punishment that Stevens will receive for his deeds.