Feds Indict Alaska GOPers; Oil exec to corrupt pol, “I own your ass.”

[ProSense]

Feds Indict Alaska GOPers

By Paul Kiel - May 4, 2007, 6:06 PM

I tell you, corruption doesn't get any uglier than Alaskan corruption.

The investigation surrounding VECO, an Alaskan oil company, has finally borne fruit. Two Republican members of the state legislature were indicted today, one of them the former speaker of the house. There's still no word on the fate of former state Sen. Ben Stevens, son of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), who is also under investigation.

Oh, and it's ugly. Pete Kott and Bruce Weyhrauch are on the hook for trading votes for cash and sweet jobs, plain and simple. From The Anchorage Daily News:

The indictment says Kott asked executives of the unnamed company for money and a job after he left the Legislature. Weyhrauch, an attorney, asked for a job and legal work, the indictment says.

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 a meeting on April 18, 2006, Kott told the company executives, “You’ll get your pipeline, the governor gets his bill, and I’ll get my job in Barbados.”...

Kott met with the company executives in their hotel suite on May 7, the indictment says, and told them he had tried to defeat an amendment to the oil tax the company didn’t like.

“I had to cheat, steal, beg, borrow and lie,” Kott said, according to the indictment.

The company’s chief executive responded, “I own your ass,” the indictment says.

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[Selatius]

1. Wow, a swank job in Barbados. Crime does pay sometimes.

Assuming you don't get caught or are in a position to make the rules. Just talk to Dick Cheney or the oil guys and bankers on Wall Street. With that kind of money, it's hard to see why they wouldn't buy politicians.

These politicians got busted because they grew too greedy. If they had simply waited long enough, the oilmen would've given them "campaign donations" at any rate, which is just a legalized version of bribery.

[ReadTomPaine]

2. How is this different from what other Republicans do across the country every day?

"..trading votes for cash and sweet jobs.."
...
"I had to cheat, steal, beg, borrow and lie,"
...
The company’s chief executive responded, “I own your ass,”

Sounds like standard right wing operating procedure to me. I'm delighted this investigation is bearing fruit, however in what way does this differ from the operation of the GOP in DC or any republican controlled statehouse?

[Greyskye]

3. so damn blatant

these guys just take the cake!

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. Are there ANY repuke politicos who aren't corrupt and on the take?

sheesh. Ted Stevens' SON is also under investigation! Their arrogance is finally catching up to them.

ALL of these people thought the repukes would be in power forever because they all know how corrupt the party is, from the TOP down. Little did they know the Dems would win in 2006! Now they're going to FINALLY pay for their crimes.

[reichstag911]

5. Just the dead ones...

...methinks. ;)