"I was pleased with the news that the Justice Department will drop all charges against Senator Ted Stevens, but I am deeply disturbed that the government can ruin a man's career and then say 'never mind.' There is nothing that will ever compensate for the loss of his reputation or leadership to the State of Alaska. Our nation is governed by the rule of law, and violations of our civil liberties cannot be tolerated. Prosecutors and law enforcement have the power to bring the full weight of the government to bear on individuals. If they are willing to bend the law, they put all of our civil liberties at risk."

-- Sen. Lisa Murkowski

"Those of us who know Ted have always known he is a good and honorable man who has spent his career providing for the state that he loves. It's a shame that Alaskans lost one of the best lawmakers they've ever had last year over a false conviction, but his legacy in Alaska will always live on."

-- Rep. Don Young

" ... The decision by President Obama's Justice Department to end the prosecution of Senator Ted Stevens is reasonable. I always said I didn't think Sen. Stevens should serve time in jail, and hopefully this decision ensures that is the case. It's time for Senator Stevens, his family and Alaskans to move on and put this behind us."

-- Sen. Mark Begich

"Senator Stevens deserves to be very happy today. What a horrible thing he has endured. The blatant attempts by adversaries to destroy one's reputation, career and finances are an abuse of our well-guarded process and violate our God-given rights afforded in the Constitution. It is a frightening thing to contemplate what we may be witnessing here -- the undermining of the political process through unscrupulous ploys and professional misconduct. Senator Stevens and I had lunch together recently at my home and he reiterated the faith he held for vindication; he never gave up hope."

-- Gov. Sarah Palin

"I'm very pleased for Senator Stevens. The Department of Justice is supposed to be the gold standard. They must be very, very embarrassed."

-- Sen. John Kyl, R-Ariz.

"Ted Stevens is 85 years old. He's already been punished enough."

--Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"Senator Ted Stevens should never have been prosecuted. It was a bad judgment to have done so in the first place. He's a war hero. He served in the Senate for 40 years, and he was the target of prosecutors who wanted to enhance their own reputation. "

-- Defense attorney Brendan Sullivan