 On December 15, 2008, the "Anchorage Daily News" reported that former Alaska state senator Jerry Ward had been implicated in the probe.Ward allegedly convinced a witness in the trial against Senator Ted Stevens to lie about an immunity deal in court to ensure that he was included in it and would therefore not be prosecuted.According to federal prosecutors, Ward had been under investigation for some time over his relationship with Bill Weimar, who was convicted of two felony counts in the matter and sentenced to prison.