Another convicted Alaska state representative goes down for the count.
http://www.adn.com/front/story/399941.htmlA federal judge today sentenced former Wasilla state Rep. Vic Kohring to 42 months -- 3-1/2 years -- in prison for his role in a corrupt scheme to keep oil taxes down.
An Anchorage jury last year convicted Kohring of bribery, conspiracy and attempted extortion. They concluded the Republican legislator sold himself to the oil field services company Veco and its former executives Bill Allen and Rick Smith. Allen and Smith have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with the ongoing FBI investigation into state politics.
Jurors found Kohring conspired with Allen and Smith to try and keep a state petroleum tax from going any higher than what the oil companies had agreed to.The jury decided Kohring took bribes from the men and tried to get them to pay his $17,000 credit card bill. Kohring sought or received a total of $24,000 in "corrupt benefits," prosecutors said.
The defense argued the money Kohring accepted was gifts from friends, not bribes.
Kohring is the third former Alaska legislator sentenced to federal prison so far in the federal investigation into state politics. He is a soft-spoken giant -- 6 foot 6.5 inches -- who was portrayed at trial as a mooch kissing up to Veco for money.
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