By STEVE QUINN, Associated Press Writer
Friday May 4, 2007
JUNEAU, Alaska - One current and two former Alaska legislators
pleaded not guilty Friday to extortion — one man sought
a plum job in the Barbados, prosecutors claim — and taking
bribes to support legislation benefiting an oil services company.
Prosecutors allege the scheme unfolded as lawmakers weighed
a new petroleum profits tax structure and a new contract for
a natural gas pipeline last year.
Pete Kott, the former House speaker, explicitly said during
a teleconference with company officials that he would support
the pipeline and the company's preferred version of the tax
proposal if he was made warden of a prison the company was
building in the Caribbean, according to the indictment.
"You'll get your gas line, the governor gets his bill,
and I'll get my job in Barbados," he told company executives,
the indictment states.
The tax passed, but the contract for the pipeline negotiated
by former Gov. Frank Murkowski was never approved.
The indictment does not name the company, but an attorney
for VECO Corp. said it was the company involved.
Rep. Victor Kohring of Wasilla, Kott of Eagle River and Bruce
Weyhrauch of Juneau, all Republicans, were arrested Friday.
Kott is accused of accepting $8,993 in payments, $2,750 in
polling expenses and a future contract as a lobbyist in exchange
for his support of the pipeline and a tax proposal that favored
the company, according to court documents.
Kohring is accused of demanding and accepting up to $2,600
in cash and a $3,000 job for a relative from VECO executives
in exchange for his support. The indictment also alleges Kohring
sought but did not receive a $17,000 loan for credit card debt.
Weyhrauch is charged with helping advance the oil service
company's causes in exchange for the promise of legal work
in the future for the company, the indictment said.
FBI spokesman Eric Gonzalez said the arrests stemmed from
an investigation that led federal agents last summer to raid
the offices of at least six lawmakers, including Kott and Weyhrauch.
Amy Menard, an attorney representing VECO in the investigation,
told The Associated Press that the Anchorage-based corporation
has turned over more than 100,000 pages of documents to the
government, she said.
"VECO has been cooperating since day one, since it learned
of the investigation. The government has indicated to the company
that it is satisfied with the cooperation and is looking forward
to continued cooperation," she said.
Kott's son, Peter Kott Jr., declined comment when reached
at the family's Eagle River business. Weyhrauch's attorney
Doug Pope and Kott's attorney James Wendt declined to comment
on the case.
John Henry Browne, an attorney for Kohring, said the lawmaker
plans to fight the charges.
"He has a good deal of faith in the system," Browne
said.
Weyhrauch did not run for re-election to his house seat in
November. Kott, a former House speaker, lost a bid to retain
his seat in the August primary. It was not clear Friday if
they ever took the jobs they were allegedly promised after
they left the Legislature; however, Kott is not a registered
lobbyist.
Kohring was charged with extortion, attempted extortion, bribery
and conspiracy. Kott and Weyhrauch each face four counts, including
extortion, bribery and wire or mail fraud.
A combined trial for Kott and Weyhrauch was set for July 9
in Anchorage. A trial date was not set for Kohring. If convicted
of all charges, each of the men could face up to 55 years in
prison and a $1 million fine. All were to be released Friday
on $20,000 bonds.
___
Associated Press writers Anne Sutton in Juneau and Rachel
D'Oro in Anchorage contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
http://www.veco.com/
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