As federal investigators zero in on ties between Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and a prominent oil-services company, Alaska’s Republican governor said Wednesday that Stevens’s son — who is also under scrutiny — should step aside from the Republican National Committee (RNC).

GOP Gov. Sarah Palin told The Associated Press that Ben Stevens, a former Alaska state senator who has benefited from Sen. Stevens’s congressional earmarks, should not represent the state while the federal probe into Alaska corruption continues.

In separate court statements, the former chief of oil-services company VECO recently acknowledged offering bribes to Ben Stevens and assigning company workers to help remodel Sen. Stevens’s home in 2000. Ted Stevens’s Senate office has declined to comment on the investigation to avoid any appearance of trying to influence its outcome.