Kohring resigns to focus on defense - June 24, 2007

Providing coverage of Alaska and northern Canada's oil and gas industryJune 2007

Vol. 12, No. 25

Week of June 24, 2007

Kohring resigns to focus on defense

An Alaska lawmaker accused of selling his vote to oil businessmen said June 19 he would give up his House seat to focus on his defense against federal bribery and extortion charges. “Resigning by no means suggests guilt,” Rep. Vic Kohring, R-Wasilla told the Associated Press.

Kohring and two former state lawmakers were indicted May 4 on charges related to alleged dealings with oil field services company VECO Corp. Prosecutors accused the lawmakers of selling their votes to VECO officials while the Legislature was working on a revamp of the state’s petroleum production tax.

Two VECO executives pled guilty to federal charges of bribery and conspiracy and have since resigned but have not yet been scheduled for sentencing. Kohring and former Republican Reps. Pete Kott and Bruce Weyhrauch all pled not guilty. Their trial dates are in the fall.

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