Jury hears taped Allen-Stevens phone conversations

Jurors have begun hearing secretly recorded phone calls between Sen. Ted Stevens and the government's star witness at the Alaska senator's corruption trial.

In audiotapes played Monday for the jury, witness Bill Allen warns Stevens that the FBI was asking questions about their relationship. Prosecutors accuse Stevens of lying on Senate forms about more than $250,000 in renovations on his cabin and other gifts from Allen, a wealthy businessman and longtime friend.

The senator tells Allen that they have a fight ahead and "we're going to win because we didn't do anything wrong."

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) _ A federal judge said Monday the corruption trial of Sen. Ted Stevens will go forward despite another request to throw out the case.

U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ordered the government to file a formal response at the end of the day to repeated defense claims that prosecutors intentionally withheld evidence favorable to their client.

Stevens' lawyers says the government kept hidden FBI interviews in which star witness Bill Allen says Stevens would have paid for improvements to his Alaska house if asked.

Sullivan gave prosecutors until late Monday to respond. Meanwhile, he want Allen, the former head of VECO Corp., to return to the witness stand.

Stevens is on trial for not reporting more than $250,000 in gifts from Allen and VECO.

On Friday, Sullivan had denied a similar motion from Stevens' attorneys, who had persuaded the judge on Thursday to suspend the trial, send jurors home and consider a mistrial.

Prosecutors have insisted that they made an honest mistake in not following rules of evidence requiring the government to share information that could help criminal defendants prove their innocence, and pleaded with the judge to let the trial go on. He agreed on condition they turn over the additional documents that could prove valuable in cross-examining Allen.

Stevens, 84, is accused of lying on Senate finance disclosure forms to conceal renovations on his ski chalet and gifts from Allen.

Allen testified last week he ignored requests by Stevens to send him bills for work by VECO employees who helped remodel the home, claiming a mutual friend told him the senator made the requests only to cover his tracks. Stevens says he was adamant that he pay all the bills and had no idea Allen was absorbing most costs himself.

Prosecutors next plan to introduce phone conversations with Stevens secretly recorded by Allen, who's testifying as part of a plea deal made with federal authorities investigating corruption among Alaskan legislators.

Stevens, a patriarch of Alaska politics for generations, has been holed up in the courtroom for more than two weeks while a Democratic opponent mounts a strong challenge back home to the seat the senator has held for 40 years.

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On the Net:

Justice Department documents: http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/us-v-stevens/