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Vic Kohring speaks to media after being sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison Video by Kelly Walters for AlaskaReport |
 Victor H. Kohring, a former elected member of the Alaska House of Representatives, has been sentenced to 42 months in prison, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge John W. Sedwick for the District of Alaska also ordered Kohring to serve two years of supervised release following his release from prison. Former Alaska lawmaker Vic Kohring was sentenced Thursday to 3 ˝ years in prison for his part in a bribery scheme involving former VECO owner Bill Allen. Kohring blames his convictions on federal prosecutors who he claims twisted his words and by a judge with a severe conflict of interest.Several large U.S. oil companies have agreed to pay about $423 million to settle a widespread lawsuit charging water contamination, court documents show. Eight companies named in the suit agreed to the settlement, among them BP, Royal Dutch Shell, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, Marathon Oil, Valero Energy, Citgo and Sunoco. Six others, including Exxon Mobil, disagreed, the Times said.
After a long and distinguished career with the U. S. Geological Survey, , 88, passed away on April 27 in Sunnyvale, California. Well known from the smallest bush settlement on the Yukon to Capital Hill in Washington, Gryc was the preeminent Alaskan geologist of his day. His work bore directly on the outcome of all the major issues of consequence to Alaska in the 20th century.
 "Alaskans are feeling the pinch of high energy costs. The state treasury is swelling while the family checkbook is evaporating. As prices continue to rise, we cannot wait for medium- and long-term solutions to come into place." Each month the price of Alaska crude oil remains over $120 a barrel, the state treasury will take in approximately $650 million more than what was forecasted just last month. Mayor and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Begich today received the endorsement of the National Education Association (NEA) – Alaska chapter in his bid for the U.S. Senate. NEA-Alaska’s 55-member Political Action Committee on Education (PACE) announced it had voted overwhelmingly to recommend Begich as its preferred candidate in Alaska's U.S. Senate race.NATION/ALASKA
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• Clinton's presidential campaign is over, but she doesn't know it• Republicans fear disaster in November • Obama says Clinton/McCain tax break a stunt • Scott Bloch gets raided by FBI WORLD
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Don Young thinks we are morons Tuesday - "...I will promote a (gas) tax so the general public will slow down, will change their driving habits..." Thursday - "I want to make perfectly clear. I have not and have no intention of introducing a bill to increase the gas tax." Hot Story We're working on a major story right now. Details hopefully on Monday. More pictures of Kohring sentencing We put a few more Kohring pictures on the blog. Quote of the Week 
I don't remember any episode of that show where Andy Griffith took cash from anybody  Prosecutor Joseph Bottini ripping Vic Kohring's lawyer's suggestion that Kohring in like Andy Griffith. Latest in Alaska's Media  By Philip Munger Two Reasons That Alaska is the Most In-Flux Political Environment in the USA After former Alaska State Representative Vic Kohring was sentenced to 42 months in Federal prison this morning, the reporters initially flocked around Kohring and his flamboyantly expensive, if otherwise useless attorney, John Henry Browne.  By Steve Kohring - More thoughts and questions Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has named five stages of grief people go through following a serious loss. Sometimes people get stuck in one of the first four stages. Their lives can be painful until they move to the fifth stage - acceptance.  By Terry Haines The Green Party A recent e-mail from Lyda Green, Alaska's Senate President warned legislators they would have to use their own Visas to go to Anchorage for the Governor's info presentation on the historic gas pipeline deal... CORRUPT BASTARD CLUB  • Ongoing coverage of the "Corrupt Bastards Club" Recent CBC Activity: • Hayes Sentenced - FBI statement • Kohring's lawyer Browne wants light sentence - real light • Benson says Young should come clean or resign • Senate goes after Young for shady earmark switch • Kohring to face Sedwick May 8th • More ... |
Outside Media on Alaska Issues  By Alex Strachan Crab fishing series unlikely hit; Deadliest Catch returns for 4th season Once again, the crab-fishing boats turn into the stiff headwinds of the Bering Sea, battered by waves the size of four-storey buildings while, on deck, deckhands take time out from trolling for crabs to smash away the ice with sledgehammers so the boats don't become too heavy and capsize in the roiling grey seas. It's a new season of Deadliest Catch, Discovery Channel's unlikely hit documentary series, and this time the crab-fishing boat crews of the Time Bandit, Cornelia Marie and other vessels will experience serious injuries in their day-to-day battle against 100 km/h winds, subzero temperatures and vicious squalls.  By Brent Batten Brent Batten: Young's speech, investigative debate Two points about U.S. Rep. Don Young’s defense last week of the Coconut Road earmark. Point One: It provides fertile ground for federal investigators. Point Two: Point One may not matter. As to the first point: The defense offered by Young, an Alaska Republican who in 2005 chaired the House Transportation Committee, was confused and scattered. He on one hand argued that $10 million to study an interchange at I-75 and Coconut Road was a good project with local support and on the other hand claimed not to know exactly how it got into the 2005 highway appropriations bill.  By The Editorial Board Congress Ventures Down the 'Slippery, Slippery Road' Congress is in the business of making rules to live by, but things always get tense when it has to start applying rules to itself. Congress's usual response to an ethical scandal has been to hope that it blows over. Right now, Congress is engaged in a low-level civil war over ethics. The House resents the fact that the Senate has intruded into what it regards as a House ethics matter. Nevertheless, it has approved a Senate-originated proposal for the Justice Department to investigate the House’s latest embarrassment, dubbed the Mystery of Coconut Road. CRIMEFIGHTING Whistleblower.org Report corrupt politicians to the FBI website Report tips to the FBI website NOAA Office of law enforcement 1-800-853-1964 Hotline E-mail Anti-Trust Complaints to: antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov |