Kohring guilty

For the Frontiersman

Anchorage — Vic Kohring showed little emotion Thursday as his verdict was read — guilty, guilty, guilty.

Following more than a week of testimony, a jury convicted the former seven-time state House member on three of four federal charges. Kohring, 49, a Wasilla Republican, is guilty of bribery, attempted extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion. He was acquitted of a fourth corruption charge.

The jury of seven men and five women deliberated for an afternoon and a morning before returning the verdict.

Following the verdict, Kohring, who remains free on bail pending his sentencing, apologized to his friends, family and former constituents for the trauma of his trial. He and his attorney, Seattle-based John Henry Browne, also blamed the Anchorage Daily News and Channel 2 News for biasing the jury pool, an argument they made before the trial began. Kohring did not testify at his trial.

Browne estimates Kohring could be looking at a prison sentence of three years, adding a decision to appeal the verdict hasn’t been made. Kohring’s sentencing is scheduled for February 2008.

Before his trial, Kohring, who took money from former VECO oil service company executives in return for political favors, labeled himself a modern-day David battling the Goliath of the federal government. Browne attempted to show Kohring as a small fish innocently caught up in a large pond of corruption.

The jury appeared serious as its members filed into the courtroom, some dressed in suits and others in collared shirts. During the nearly two-week trial, the jury heard and saw secret government wiretaps that featured Kohring, former VECO CEO Bill Allen and former VECO vice president Rick Smith. Allen and Smith also both testified about giving Kohring money and the lawmaker’s eagerness to be useful to them and VECO.

One lengthy video surveillance tape clearly shows Kohring asking Allen and Smith for a $17,000 loan. He needed the money to pay off credit card debt and told the VECO executives a loan from them would help protect his political reputation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Sullivan and Joseph Bottini spent parts of six days laying out their case against Kohring, including linking him to attempts to influence Petroleum Profits Tax legislation.

Browne called two witnesses: Kohring’s 19-year-old nephew and a friend.

Kohring is the third former state legislator to be convicted of similar charges in an ongoing federal public corruption investigation being run by the FBI. Former state House Rep. Tom Anderson was sentenced to five years and former Rep. Pete Kott, found guilty of three counts, will be sentenced Dec. 7. Another former House member, Bruce Weyhrauch, is next in line to face federal prosecutors.