WASHINGTON — Sen. Daniel K. Inouye said yesterday he was "deeply saddened" by the conviction of his friend, Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, on corruption charges but remained his friend.

"This may not be the final decision as this matter is subject to appeal," Inouye, D-Hawai'i, said in a statement. "I hope the people of Alaska continue to believe in Ted Stevens, to remember his contributions and to look upon him as a friend."

Stevens, a Republican in a tough battle for re-election to an eighth term, was convicted yesterday on seven felony charges of lying on his annual financial disclosure forms to conceal benefits he received from VECO Corp. and its executives from 1999 to 2006.

Those benefits included renovation work on his Alaska home, furniture and tools.

Inouye and Stevens, both 84, forged a close friendship over four decades as they fought to gain acceptance for their then-new states and later directed spending projects to them. The two frequently back each other's legislation.

Inouye is one of the few Senate Democrats who support drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Stevens is among the few Senate Republicans backing the Native Hawaiian federal recognition bill.

Sen. Dan Akaka, D-Hawai'i, sponsor of the Native Hawaiian bill, was in Chicago yesterday visiting Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, said Jon Yoshimura, spokesman for the senator.

"At this time, he has no comment on the Stevens verdict," Yoshimura said.

Inouye and Stevens wield a lot of clout in the Senate by virtue of their longevity and committee assignments.

They are senior members of the Senate Appropriations Committee — Inouye is chairman of the Defense subcommittee and Stevens is the top Republican.

They are also the senior members of the Senate Commerce Committee, of which Inouye is chairman and Stevens is vice chairman.

Both senators have frequently been criticized for the amount of federal money they procure for their states. Citizens Against Government Waste, a taxpayer watchdog group, has ranked Alaska and Hawai'i as the top two states per capita for receiving special-interest projects money in seven of the past eight years. In 2008, Alaska received $380 million, or $555.54 per person, and Hawai'i received $283 million, or $220.63 per person.

Tom Schatz, president of the group, said yesterday that Stevens abused his position of power "to bilk the taxpayers in order to aggrandize himself and his cronies."

Inouye has been steadfast in his friendship, saying early on that he believed in Stevens. Yesterday's verdict didn't change that.

"He will continue to be my friend," Inouye said.