Feds Raid Veco, GOP Legislators

Kodiak, Alaska

By Aaron Selbig of   Insurgent49

It's been a shocking week here at Insurgent Headquarters.

Should anyone be surprised that the super cozy relationship between the oil industry and Alaska's Republican leadership has finally come to the point of a full-blown criminal investigation?

This is but one of the questions that Alaskans are asking in the wake of an FBI raid on the offices of six legislators which, as of this writing, is only hours old.

Here's what we know at this point:

On Thursday, August 31st, FBI agents served simultaneous search warrants on the offices of six Alaska legislators: Bruce Weyrauch, John Cowdery, Pete Kott, Donny Olson, Vic Kohring and Senate President Ben Stevens. All but Olson are Republicans.

According to Kohring and legislative attorney Tam Cook, the search warrants named VECO, the oil services company that has a notorious history of stacking the political deck in Alaska.

For more complete information on the raid, check out these links:

Criminal bribery probe as FBI and IRS raid offices of at least 6 legislators; no arrests yet

FBI raids legislative offices

Aides say agents looking for gifts, financial information

In the days and weeks ahead, we will certainly learn more about what exactly has drawn federal attention to the dealings of VECO and these six legislators. In a week's time, Insurgent49 will have more information for you. Hopefully, we will also find some answers to the burning questions we have here at Insurgent Headquarters:

News reports say that an FBI team was dispatched to Girdwood. Is Ted Stevens (the only Alaskan politician we know of, besides Lisa Murkowski, who has both a home and offices there) involved in the investigation?

Is Vic Kohring the FBI's informant?

Was evidence presented to the feds by Ray Metcalfe more than a year ago the impetus of the investigation?

Why are the feds involved in the first place? Will there be federal charges filed and, if so, what will they be?

Is any of this related to the net profits PPT tax recently passed by the Legislature (under much pressure and intense lobbying by the oil industry) and, if so, will the tax be allowed to go into effect?

Soon, friends . soon we will know more. In the meantime, for those of us who have been outraged and disgusted for years by the amount of control that VECO and the oil industry have had on Alaska politics, let us take some satisfaction that justice may finally be served for corrupt leaders who have sold out our state.

It's about time.