Judge orders Kohring’s release

MAT-SU — A judge has ordered the immediate release from prison of disgraced former state lawmakers Vic Kohring and Peter Kott.

In nearly identical two-page rulings filed Thursday with the U.S. District Court, Judge John W. Sedwick ordered that Kohring and Kott “shall be immediately released from the custody of the Bureau of Prisons.”

He also ordered both to be provided plane tickets back to Alaska “at the earliest possible time” and that both men are to report to a probation officer immediately upon arriving.

Sedwick’s orders come on the heels of revelations that federal prosecutors failed to disclose information to both defense teams during their trials, which resulted in convictions for Kohring and Kott on bribery and corruption charges.

In a motion to release Kohring, who is serving a 42-month sentence in a California prison, Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer says the government is reviewing the circumstances of the failure to disclose.

“The process has uncovered material that, at this stage, appears to be information that should have been, but was not, disclosed to (Kohring) before his trial,” the motion says. “Moreover, in light of this development, the government respectfully asks this court, before remanding, to order (Kohring’s) immediate release on personal recognizance pending resolution of this case.”

Just what information was withheld from Kohring’s and Kott’s defense teams was not outlined in the motions. It also was not immediately known when the former legislators would return to Alaska.

Kohring, a former seven-term lawmaker representing part of the Mat-Su, was convicted for taking money from former executives of oil services company VECO. During his trial, prosecutors played audio and video surveillance tapes for the jury that showed Kohring asking former VECO CEO Bill Allen for money.

Throughout the trial and following his conviction, Kohring has maintained his innocence. He also claimed a bias on the part of Sedwick, who presided over the trial. Sedwick’s wife was once a political foe of Kohring who was put out of a job because of legislative changes spearheaded by the former state representative.

“The resulting conviction has destroyed me,” he said at the sentencing. “I’ll wonder for the rest of my life if I got a fair trial.”

In his Thursday order for release, Sedwick sets a June 17 date for Kohring to return to U.S. District Court in Anchorage to set conditions for his continued release.

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com.