Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens (R) announced Wednesday that he will create a legal defense fund.

Stevens was indicted in July on seven counts of filing false financial disclosures in an effort to conceal more than $250,000 in gifts over an eight-year period.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan denied Stevens’ request to move the trial to Alaska. The trial is scheduled to start Sept. 22 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

According to a statement issued by Stevens’ office, the Alaskan is seeking Ethics Committee approval to establish a legal defense fund, after which the account may begin accepting donations.

Under rules governing such funds, Stevens is prohibited from soliciting donations, and the fund may not accept contributions from lobbyists, corporations or unions. The maximum contribution is $10,000 to a Senate legal defense fund.