In Wake of Stevens Case Dismissal, Alaska Republicans Call for Special Election

The Alaska Republican Party is calling on Democratic freshman Sen. Mark Begich to resign so a new vote can be held now that the Department of Justice is dropping its case against former Sen. Ted Stevens.

Alaska GOP Chairman Randy Ruedrich said a special election should be held "so Alaskans may have the chance to vote for a senator without the improper influence of the corrupt Department of Justice."

"The only reason Mark Begich won the election in November is because a few thousand Alaskans thought that Senator Ted Stevens was guilty of seven felonies. Senator Stevens has maintained his innocence and now, even the Department of Justice acknowledges its wrongdoing," Ruedrich said in a statement.

Six Republican lawmakers have also written a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder asking whether he's referred the attorneys involved in the case to his department's Office of Professional Responsibility "for an investigation of their misconduct."

"The public deserves to be protected from unethical attorneys," Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., wrote, according to a copy of the letter obtained by FOX News.

Stevens was convicted of seven felony counts of corruption weeks before the election, after being charged with hiding $250,000 in gifts he received from an oil company executive and friends. Still, the final election tally took weeks after the Nov. 4 vote to complete as the tight race forced all ballots to be counted.

The U.S. Justice Department filed a motion Wednesday to drop its case against Stevens, 85, after it was discovered FBI agents and prosecutors mishandled evidence and withheld it from Stevens' defense team. A hearing is scheduled for April 7 to determine whether the case will be dropped.

Holder said the totality of the case -- including Stevens' losing the election and his advanced age --  forced him to call for the dismissal. One Justice Department source called the stunning turnaround a "black eye" on the department and the FBI.

While Begich has not commented on the GOP demand, after the announcement he called the decision to end the Stevens prosecution "reasonable."

"I always said I didn't think Senator 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," he said in a statement.