Ex-lawmakers charged with bribery, extortion (Alaska)

[harpboy_ak]

Source: Anchorage Daily News

Former Alaska state legislators Pete Kott and Bruce Weyhrauch have been indicted by a federal grand jury on several counts of extortion, bribery, wire fraud and mail fraud.

(snip)

Kott was arrested at home in Juneau around 9 a.m. Friday, a spokesman for the FBI said. Weyhrauch was arrested later in the morning. Both are being held in the federal courthouse in Juneau.

FBI spokesman Eric Gonzalez would not say if additional arrests are coming. "It’s a continuing investigation," he said.

Some of the charges against Kott and Weyhrauch involve the Legislature’s consideration last year of a natural gas pipeline and a petroleum production tax proposed by former Gov. Frank Murkowski. Kott, a former House speaker from Eagle River, is accused of seeking and accepting bribes to push positions favored by executives of a company that is not named in the indictment. Weyhrauch traded votes for the promise of a job, according to the charges.



Read more: http://www.adn.com/news/politics/story/8853688p-8754302c.html

---

Ted Stevens' son will be the next arrest!

This is a just-breaking episode of a story that started about a year ago with FBI raids on legislative offices. The word around Juneau is that Federal warrants are also out for State Sens. Don Olsen (D-Nome), John Cowdery (R-Anch), & Vic Kohring (R-Wasilla?), and that Olsen & Cowdery will be turning themselves in at the Federal Courthouse this afternoon. Apparently Sen. Kohring was having back surgery today.

The online PDF of the indictment reads like a bad whodunit. See http://www.adn.com/static/includes/alaskapolitics/kottweyhrauch.pdf

Note that the indictment is coming from the New York office of the DOJ Public Integrity Section, not the interim-appointed current U. S. Attorney.

My sources in the Alaska Capitol tell me that Company A is VECO, and that Bill Allen & his VP Rick Smith have both been arrested for bribery. Other arrests can be expected, and here the biggest shoe left to drop: "Senator A" named in the indictment is former State Senate President Ben Stevens (R-Anch), son of US Sen. "Tubular Ted" Stevens.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. They got Bill Allen????

Oh, this IS a happy day. This is great news, HarpBoy. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch. :woohoo:

[stevedeshazer]

2. Whoa!

On edit for those who don't follow Alaska politics, Kott is the angry dude in red.



<snip>

On about Sept. 26, 2005, the indictment says, Kott called an unnamed company vice president and said, “I need a job.”

The vice president replied, “You’ve got a job; get us a pipeline,” the indictment says.

In another conversation later that day, Kott told the same executive, “I just want to be the warden in Barbados,” the indictment says. The unnamed company was building a private prison in Barbados.

After the Legislature convened in January 2006, the conversations between Kott and the unnamed company officials about the gas line deal continued, the indictment says. In a telephone call on Jan. 10, the indictment says, Kott called the chief executive of the same company. Kott told the executive, “I’m going to get this f------ gas line done so I can get out of here.”

The executive replied, “Get the gas, get the gas,” to which Kott responded, “That’s my commitment to you, so … I’ll get her done.”
----------
This guy is in deep shit!

[Blue_In_AK]

6. Actually, the angry guy on the left is Weyhrauch

He's not been having a good month. He nearly drowned a couple of weeks ago when he slipped on some oil (ironically), falling out of his boat, and had to swim to an island in 40 degree water and spend the night freezing behind a log. Bad enough to almost die, but now this. Karma's a bitch.

[Cobalt-60]

11. He'll be in with the in crowd

That face could be on an Aryan Nation recruiting poster.

[stevedeshazer]

3. KICK! I just skimmed the PDF of the indictment, pages 11-17 MUST READ

Kott is going to spend some time in the POKEY.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. Wooo-hoooo............

He is SUCH a jerk. Now, if they just take down Benny Boy, I'll be one happy camper. :)

[salin]

5. I predict this will ultimately touch Sen Stevens.

[Toots]

13. I hope it even gets to Murkowski as well

As you know Murkowski was Stevens running partner so to speak for over twenty years. Murkowski quit the US Senate to become Governor of Alaska and was extremely chummy with the VECO people. You can not believe how pissed off he was when he could not ram his pipeline contract through the legislature. He as much as drips oil....

[salin]

17. I think different tendril of this scandal will touch both

Stevens (via his son's "consulting jobs"), and Murkowski as Governor (via actions while trying to pass the pipeline deal) might be taken down.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Wow! This is outstanding news. After a quick look at the indictment, one might think

they've GOT 'EM. Very, very interesting.

You've given us all something fascinating to look forward to, as it all falls into place. So cool. Hope they throw the book at these scums.

Thanks.

[Blue_In_AK]

8. Harpboy, they didn't say anything on the news tonight

about the VECO people being arrested, although they appear obviously to be co-conspirators. Is the arrest a fact yet or just a foreseeable fact? I'd love to see Bill Allen in handcuffs.

[harpboy_ak]

14. Read the updated story...

I just checked back at the Daily News web site for updates, and I guess my source in the Capitol was giving me something 3rd hand. The Daily Snooze now sez that Veco's attorney acknowledged that Allen & his VP took part in this, and that the company cooperated with Federal investigators. I'm sure that once we know about Stevens, we'll probably know who dropped the dime on the Corrupt Bastards Club.

Given the verbatim quotes in the indictment, either someone was wearing a wire, the suite was bugged, or they had multiple witnesses. It really reads like a badly written TV script.

Knowing Bill Allen's reputation, I doubt if he was the one who was singing to the Feds.

[Zorro]

9. All Republicans

I'm shocked.

[hughee99]

12. It looks like there's a warrant out for 1 Dem as well

Don Olsen (D-Nome) according to the OP.

[Demeter]

10. A Couple Indicted Here, a Couple Prosecuted There, Pretty Soon

you've got the whole GOP under lock and key!

[roguevalley]

15. I can't find words to say how happy I am at this stuff. Our entire

GOP legislature and our national candidates will be arrested before Christmas rolls around again, I know. I am waiting for Don Young and the Stevens. How happy is it to be an Alaskan today? Very.-

[Blue_In_AK]

16. You bet.

It's about time they cleaned out that cesspool. And the day they get Don Young -- oh, my God. We'll have to declare a state holiday. I hate that bastard.

[Up2Late]

18. Current, ex-lawmakers arrested in Alaska oil case (Reuters)

Source: Reuters

Current, ex-lawmakers arrested in Alaska oil case

Fri May 4, 2007 9:57pm ET147

By Yereth Rosen

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - An Alaska lawmaker and two of his former colleagues were arrested on Friday for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes from VECO Corp., a private oil services company, to pass a new oil-tax system, officials said.

The three, Rep. Vic Kohring of Wasilla, former state House Speaker Rep. Pete Kott of Eagle River and former state Rep. Bruce Weyhrauch of Juneau, were among six legislators whose offices were raided and searched by the FBI last August and September. Those lawmakers included former Senate President Ben Stevens, the son of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens.

Kohring, Kott and Weyhrauch, all Republicans, are charged with conspiring with the oil-field-services company in exchange for supporting a pro-industry version of a controversial bill that changed Alaska's oil production tax into a levy on the profits a company made in Alaska.

"These two indictments allege that the defendants sold their offices in Alaska's State House to an influential energy company in exchange for cash payments, loans, jobs for relatives and the promise of future employment," Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher said in a news release. The FBI's spokesman in Alaska, Eric Gonzalez, said the investigation was ongoing, but would not comment on whether more arrests were coming.

(more at link)

Read more: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2007-05-05T015735Z_01_N04257962_RTRUKOC_0_US-ALASKA-CORRUPTION.xml

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My bet is Ted's involved too.

[Gregorian]

19. Arrested? Yep- CBS has it too.

They only mention arrested in one of the two articles. TPM had the indictment article earlier. And this one only mentions the word. It doesn't follow up on it at all. Are they walking around free on their own recognizance? On bond?

It's all good!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/04/politics/main2763266.shtml

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 tears in prison and a $1 million fine. All were to be released Friday on $20,000 bonds.

Haha- "up to 55 tears in prison". Hm, I don't think they're talking about crying. Maybe tears as in tears a new one. Sorry. I couldn't help myself. We've had prison joke discussions here before. Sue me! :)

[Up2Late]

20. "...up to 55 tears in prison?" I bet they'll cry more than that...

Republicans are a bunch of Baby's:evilgrin:

[rodeodance]

21. Former, Current Alaska Lawmakers (R) Charged

Source: ap


Former, Current Alaska Lawmakers Charged
By STEVE QUINN, Associated Press Writer

Fri May 4, 9:58 PM

JUNEAU, Alaska - One current and two former Alaska legislators pleaded not guilty Friday to charges they accepted bribes _ including cash and a job offer in Barbados for one man _ to support legislation for an oil services company.

Rep. Victor Kohring of Wasilla, Pete Kott of Eagle River and Bruce Weyhrauch of Juneau, all Republicans, were arrested Friday.
.........

Kott explicitly linked his support of the pipeline and the company's preferred version of the tax proposal to benefits during a teleconference with company officials, 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.

Read more: http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2007/05/04/654919.html&cvqh=itn_alaska

[Robbien]

22. It is amazing how millions of dollars worth of government contracts

go for so little blood money

Kott got about twelve grand and a job offer
Kohring got about six grand
Weyhrauch got a promise to get more legal business

You would think they would put a bigger sales price on their souls.

[DrDan]

24. doesn't bribery involve two parties?

so why is just the "receiver" arrested . . .

where is the accountability for the "giver"????

[Robbien]

25. Good question

These days corporations appear to have more rights and lesser responsibility than individuals. It is hard to know any more if corporations are legally responsible for the evil they do.

[Blue_In_AK]

29. The "givers" just pled guilty today...

See my post below.

[emad]

23. UK satire/parody site has been drumming this one for weeks ever

since Weyhrauch took a 'mysterious tumble' off his boat a couple of weeks ago:

Corrupt Bastards Club and Juneau legislator Bruce Weyhrauch takes an icy tumble: Iranians not (yet) suspected
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i17780

Corrupt Bastards Club corralled as Fitzie plays a blinder
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i18050

Corrupt Bastards Club Sued By Ann Coulter
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i18073

Texas City refinery disaster: Corrupt Bastards helped ousted BP chief in cover-up
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i18227

"Corrupt Bastards' Fat's In The Fire Now!"
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i18322

etc

[Robbien]

26. Thanks. Those articles are great. They explain the situation

so clearly even though it is obvious they are using satire. The AP articles are so difficult to follow sometimes.

Some humor along with the truth. Always a good choice.

[NashVegas]

27. VECO CEO to Pete Knott: "I Own Your Ass"

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003158.php

[Blue_In_AK]

28. Harpboy, the other shoe dropped...

You were right all along. :)

See my post here http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=843102&mesg_id=843102
for KTUU's coverage tonight and what's posted on the Anchorage Daily News website.

I guess they're waiting to charge Ben until they get ALL the dirt. :evilgrin: