WASHINGTON—A campaign spokeswoman for John McCain says the indictment of longtime senator Ted Stevens is a "sad reminder" that the next president will have to work to rebuild the public's trust.
Nicolle Wallace says the Alaska Republican should be presumed innocent at this point of the charges that he lied about accepting gifts from an oil contractor.
She recalls that McCain and Stevens famously clashed over the appropriation process. McCain regularly says on the presidential campaign trail that appropriations are subject to corruption that causes voters to lose faith in government.
The GOP presidential candidate has not personally commented on Stevens' indictment, though it could damage his party's electoral prospects in November.
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