Stevens Will Move to Dismiss Bid to Oust Packwood

The ranking Republican on the Senate Rules Committee said Thursday that he would introduce a resolution to dismiss the challenge to fellow Republican Sen. Bob Packwood’s election.

Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska said he expects the committee to vote May 20 on his move to dismiss complaints against Packwood by more than 250 Oregon voters.

The challengers claim that Packwood defrauded Oregon voters during the campaign by lying to the news media about his sexual misconduct and intimidating some of his female accusers to silence them. They said this conduct delayed news stories about Packwood’s behavior until after the vote.

Packwood’s attorney has denied that the senator lied or intimidated his accusers.

In an interview, Stevens said he did not believe that the Senate’s constitutional authority to judge elections, returns and qualifications of its members extended to the type of fraud alleged by Packwood’s accusers.

Stevens said past election challenges “were all related to Election Day” conduct, such as accusations of stuffing ballot boxes. “I don’t think this fits that category. I will offer a motion to deny the petitions,” he said.

The Rules Committee heard arguments last week from Packwood’s attorney and from an attorney representing the challengers. Several senators said elections would be challenged routinely if they could be voided on grounds that the candidates lied about their personal lives.

Nearly two dozen women have accused Packwood of making unwanted sexual advances over two decades since the late 1960s. Packwood has apologized for that behavior without acknowledging specific allegations.