Vic Kohring’s on deck

MAT-SU – The investigation into the bribery and extortion of former members of Alaska’s Legislature turns its attention next to former Wasilla Rep. Vic Kohring.

With the trial of former Eagle River Rep. Pete Kott over Kohring is next to face the judgment of his peers. Kott, scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 7, was convicted recently on three counts of bribery, extortion and conspiracy. Kohring faces the same charges, and his trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 22.

Kohring could face the same damning evidence that helped convict Kott — the testimony of former Veco Corp. CEO Bill Allen and secretly recorded conversations between Veco executives from Room 604 of Juneau's Westmark Baranof Hotel.

Kohring nor his attorney was unavailable for comment about whether the Kott trial and convictions would have any bearing on Kohring’s defense.

During a previous interview, Kohring said he believes he will be found innocent, but that he knows the gravity of his situation.

”I have been charged with some very serious crimes,” Kohring said.

The former lawmaker faces up to 50 years in prison.

Kohring turned himself in to federal officials in Juneau on the afternoon of May 4 following the arrest earlier in the day of former legislators Kott and Bruce Weyhrauch, R-Juneau.

Material from Kohring's office was confiscated in 2006 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of its probe into corruption surrounding oil and gas deals under then-Gov. Frank Murkowski.

The grand jury indictment enumerated dates and times of detailed conversations between Kohring and Bill Allen and Veco Vice President Rick Smith. The indictment says Kohring, Allen and Smith “did knowingly and willfully combine, conspire, confederate and agree together and with each other to obstruct, delay and affect in any way and degree commerce and the movement of any article and commodity in commerce by extortion.”

The indictment also says the seven-term lawmaker allegedly conspired to performed official acts as a member of the state Legislature “for the purpose of enriching himself and his family members.”

In one secretly videoed conversation between Allen and Smith, Allen talked about having just given Kohring $1,000 and, as a result, Kohring would “kiss our [behind].”

Allen testified against Kott and is expected to testify about some of the same evidence at Kohring’s trial.

According to the indictment, Kohring allegedly agreed to lobby for oil industry-friendly terms in the debate last year over a new oil taxation formula known as the Petroleum Profits Tax. In return, he received cash totaling close to $2,500 and a $3,000 job for a relative. Kohring also allegedly requested help from Veco in paying off a $17,000 credit card debt that was in collection.

The petroleum profits system, adopted by the Legislature of which Kohring was a part, has been criticized with creating a shortfall in estimated tax income from the oil industry. Saying the PPT is tainted by corruption, Gov. Sarah Palin has called for a special session of the Legislature to take another look at the profits tax.

Kohring’s attorney, John Henry Browne of Seattle, has tried to get Kohring’s case dismissed.

Browne has argued that state Sen. Fred Dyson was “in bed” with the government when he appealed to Kohring to work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“It was an effort by Dyson to try to get us to roll over and play dead,” Browne said.

Dyson admits he urged Kohring to speak to the FBI about the former representative’s upcoming trial. Dyson had made the same recommendation to Allen, he said.

“[Allen’s] attorney worked out the best possible deal,” Dyson said.

Dyson said that whether Kohring took money or not, he believes that Kohring never intended to do any harm.

“I do not believe he had any evil intention to hurt the public interest of Alaskans,” Dyson said. “From what I know of [Kohring’s] heart and his convictions, that was my impression.”

Dyson said that in his interaction with the FBI the investigators did not see Kohring as “an intrinsically evil person” motivated by greed.

Dyson said the FBI did not prompt him to talk to Kohring. In fact, Dyson said, when the FBI found out that he had the agency was upset.

“They chewed me pretty good,” Dyson said.

Kohring’s trial, along with the trials and investigations of other Alaska legislators, will have an effect on the opinions of Alaskans, said David Maas, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

The convictions and accusations “sort of reinforces people’s perception of politics, unfortunately, which is pretty negative,” Maas said.

While it is difficult to tie in how legislators vote with the money they may have taken, those in the Legislature are responsive to people who have money and people who have access, Maas said.

In the case of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens who has taken the side of the oil industry on issues such as drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge while allegedly taking favors from Veco in the form of home improvements it is hard to determine if Stevens acted in response to popular public opinion or for his own personal gain, Maas said.

“The oil industry is very important in Alaska, the interests Veco represents are very important to Alaska, so legislators are going to listen to these interests,” he said. “Whatever legislators do to support the oil industry would be popular in Alaska.”

Kohring announced that he would resign as District 14 representative during a Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce meeting in June. Kohring said he intended to step down, win his court case and return to public service.

Palin chose Wes Keller to replace Kohring.

Kohring, 48, was first elected to office in 1994. He has been an Alaska resident for the last 43 years.