Stevens prosecutor may be removed from another case

So far, the Justice Department has not explained whether prosecutor William Welch will be removed as the case's supervisor.

U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle made it clear that's what she expects at a hearing in the case of Kevin Ring, a former associate to criminal lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Abramoff is in prison for defrauding his clients and bribing public officials, and Ring is fighting charges that he was involved in the corruption conspiracy.

Welch is the chief of the Justice Department's public integrity section, which is prosecuting Ring. Although he's not been in the courtroom litigating the case, he is closely involved. He is supervising attorneys who are in the courtroom, is listed as a lead attorney, has conducted witness interviews and his signature was at the top of government filings as recently as last week.

Welch is himself under criminal investigation, along with four other federal prosecutors, for withholding evidence from defense attorneys in the Stevens trial.

Stevens, who lost his re-election race just days after being convicted on the now-dismissed corruption charges, represented Alaska in the U.S. Senate for 40 years and was the longest serving Republican in Senate history. The guilty verdict was thrown out this month after the Justice Department acknowledged it had improperly withheld evidence.