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Former, Current Alaska Lawmakers Charged
By STEVE QUINN
Associated Press Writer
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) -- One current and two former Alaska legislators were indicted Friday on charges they accepted bribes - including cash and a job offer in Barbados for one man - to support legislation favorable to an oil services company.
All were arrested Friday in Juneau. Rep. Victor Kohring, a Republican from Wasilla, was charged with extortion, attempted extortion, bribery and conspiracy, according to a federal grand jury indictment unsealed Friday.
Pete Kott of Eagle River and Bruce Weyhrauch of Juneau, both Republicans, pleaded not guilty to four counts including extortion, bribery and wire or mail fraud in trying to help the company, VECO Corp. It is not named in court documents, but an attorney for the company identified it after the indictments were unsealed.
Prosecutors allege the scheme evolved as lawmakers weighed a new petroleum profits tax structure and a new contract for a natural gas pipeline. The tax passed, but the contract for the pipeline negotiated by former Gov. Frank Murkowski and BP PLC, ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil was never approved.
Kott explicitly linked his support of the pipeline and the tax proposal in exchange for benefits, 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 during a teleconference, the indictment states.
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.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PIPELINE_BRIBE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
By STEVE QUINN
Associated Press Writer
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) -- One current and two former Alaska legislators were indicted Friday on charges they accepted bribes - including cash and a job offer in Barbados for one man - to support legislation favorable to an oil services company.
All were arrested Friday in Juneau. Rep. Victor Kohring, a Republican from Wasilla, was charged with extortion, attempted extortion, bribery and conspiracy, according to a federal grand jury indictment unsealed Friday.
Pete Kott of Eagle River and Bruce Weyhrauch of Juneau, both Republicans, pleaded not guilty to four counts including extortion, bribery and wire or mail fraud in trying to help the company, VECO Corp. It is not named in court documents, but an attorney for the company identified it after the indictments were unsealed.
Prosecutors allege the scheme evolved as lawmakers weighed a new petroleum profits tax structure and a new contract for a natural gas pipeline. The tax passed, but the contract for the pipeline negotiated by former Gov. Frank Murkowski and BP PLC, ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil was never approved.
Kott explicitly linked his support of the pipeline and the tax proposal in exchange for benefits, 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 during a teleconference, the indictment states.
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.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PIPELINE_BRIBE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US