ALASKA'S NEWSPAPER

| Updated: 5:41 PM

FBI investigations into Alaska politics

Justice to investigate decision to drop Allen sex crimes case

The Justice Department has agreed to investigate whether there was misconduct involved in federal prosecutors' decision to not prosecute a teen sex crime case against disgraced former Veco Corp. chairman Bill Allen.

Feds must justify secrecy on Young investigation files

A federal judge in Washington ruled today that the Justice Department was wrong in categorically refusing to provide any of its criminal investigative files on Alaska Rep. Don Young to an anti-corruption public interest group.

Stevens' prosecutors lose contempt of court appeal

A contempt of court citation against the prosecutors who tried the late Sen. Ted Stevens has been upheld on appeal.

Murkowski wants probe of why feds won't prosecute Allen

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is asking for an investigation into why the federal Justice Department abandoned the teen sex crimes case against former Veco Corp. Chairman Bill Allen and blocked the state's effort to prosecute Allen.

Allen unlikely to face child sex abuse charge

An effort by Alaska prosecutors to pursue a case against former Veco Corp. chief Bill Allen on allegations of child sexual abuse has ended with no charges, the state's top prosecutor said Monday.

Stevens prosecution team won't face criminal charges

Stevens prosecution team won't face criminal charges

A 2 1/2 year investigation into the bungled prosecution of then-U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens found widespread and sometimes intentional misconduct by Justice Department attorneys in that and other Alaska corruption cases. But the special prosecutor who led the review isn't recommending they face criminal charges.

Allen unlikely to face child sex abuse charge

Bill Allen scheduled for release next week

A major figure in an Alaska political corruption scandal is expected to complete his prison sentence next week.

Review of Stevens prosecution nears completion, Holder says

The Justice Department is almost finished with its investigation of misconduct in the 2008 prosecution of Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, and senators upset about the case on Tuesday urged Attorney General Eric Holder to make it public.

Kohring files defamation suit against Bill Allen

A former Alaska lawmaker convicted in a federal conspiracy case has filed a defamation lawsuit against one of the government's star witnesses.

Guilty pleas end Alaska corruption probe

With the guilty pleas of two former legislators Friday, the seven-year federal investigation of corruption in Alaska came to a close, leaving some of the original targets off the hook but 10 others with criminal records, including six state legislators.

Guilty pleas close Alaska corruption probe

Two former longtime Alaska legislators pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges this morning but will get no more prison time than they've already served. U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler said that as far as her office is concerned, the book is now closed on the biggest corruption case in state history.

Plea deal to keep ex-lawmakers Kott, Kohring out of prison

Prosecutors have agreed not to seek more prison time for ex-legislators Pete Kott and Vic Kohring, despite their fresh admissions that they accepted bribes to promote oil-tax legislation favored by industry.

Former Rep. Kohring will plead guilty to federal charge

Former Rep. Vic Kohring said Monday that he will plead guilty to a federal extortion-conspiracy charge, forestalling the lone trial still pending from the huge FBI corruption investigation into Alaska politics.

Kott says he'll plead guilty to federal bribery charge

Former House Speaker Pete Kott said Thursday that he plans to plead guilty to a single federal charge of bribery, a move that would end proceedings in a case that began with a four-count indictment in 2007.

Prosecution, defense plan to call Allen in Kohring trial

Both prosecution and defense plan to call former Veco chief executive Bill Allen as a witness in the upcoming corruption retrial of former Rep. Vic Kohring.

Allen to show at Kohring corruption trial; may not testify

It looks like disgraced Veco chief executive Bill Allen will be attending former Rep. Vic Kohring's corruption retrial in Fairbanks next month -- whether federal prosecutors call him or not.

Prosecutors allowed more time in Vic Kohring retrial

A federal judge in Anchorage is giving prosecutors more time to decide whether to call a key figure in the corruption retrial of former state lawmaker Vic Kohring.

Allen could testify in Kohring retrial

Prosecutors want more time to decide whether to call a key figure in an Alaska corruption case in the retrial of former state lawmaker Vic Kohring.

Prosecutors undecided on whether to call Allen in Kohring retrial

Prosecutors want more time to decide whether to call a key figure in an Alaska corruption case in the retrial of former state lawmaker Vic Kohring.

Judge shifts Kott, Kohring retrials to Fairbanks

A federal judge ruled on Friday that the corruption retrials of two former legislators will be moved to Fairbanks from Anchorage in "an abundance of caution" to ensure the two men get fair juries.

Ben Stevens told he won't face federal corruption charges

Ben Stevens has been told he's off the hook in the rapidly fading Alaska political corruption investigation, according to people with knowledge of the case. Stevens was one of six legislators whose offices were raided by the FBI on Aug. 31, 2006. Four were eventually convicted.

Kott again asks for dismissal of charges

Kott again asks for dismissal of charges

Former House Speaker Pete Kott is asking anew that a judge dismiss his corruption case over government misconduct, asserting that prosecutors were misleading in his first trial when they portrayed their chief witness as credible.

Former House speaker seeks secret FBI files before trial

There are still thousands of secret documents in the FBI's Alaska corruption investigation. Former House Speaker Pete Kott says about 4,500 pages of them should be unsealed to ensure his retrial is fair.

Former Young aide jailed for afternoon

An ex-congressional aide under Alaska Rep. Don Young spent the afternoon behind bars in Washington for going to the World Series with a corporate official and lobbyist and failing to report it on his House financial disclosure form.

Former aide to Young guilty for World Series junket

Judge emphatic in decision that Weyhrauch not entitled to costs

Former Rep. Bruce Weyhrauch of Juneau, convicted on a state corruption charge, was turned down Thursday in his bid to get the government to pay for his defense against federal charges that were dropped in a plea deal.

Kohring moves to have charges against him revised

Former Rep. Vic Kohring says his acquittal on one of four felonies at his original corruption trial in 2007 should mean that any mention of his acceptance of cash bribes should be stricken from charges at his retrial in October.

Florida drops child-sex charge against former Alaskan

Prosecutors in Florida have decided not to bring charges of child sexual battery against former Alaska halfway house mogul Bill Weimar, who had been accused by the Sarasota sheriff's office of illegal sexual contact with a 6-year-old girl.

Weimar charged in corruption probe

Mexican Navy captures Alaskan wanted for sex abuse

Former Alaska Rep. Kott wants retrial moved out of town

Former Alaska House Speaker Pete Kott on Friday joined ex-Rep. Vic Kohring in asking that their retrials on corruption charges take place somewhere other than Anchorage.

Kott, Kohring get new trial dates

Kohring again bids for venue change in 2nd trial

Former Rep. Vic Kohring wants to have his retrial on corruption charges moved to another state because of "presumed prejudice" among potential Alaska jurors.

Kott, Kohring get new trial dates

There's a new judge, a different courtroom and new lawyers on both defense and prosecution tables, and now there are new trial dates for two former Alaska state legislators who have been tried and convicted before: Pete Kott and Vic Kohring.

Trial dates set for Kohring, Kott

Two former Alaska lawmakers whose corruption convictions were overturned due to prosecutorial errors are getting new trials.

New trial attorney named to defend former legislator

Former House Speaker Pete Kott, awaiting retrial on corruption charges, has a new attorney again after Federal Public Defender Rich Curtner said his office would have a conflict of interest if it represented him.

Kott gets public defender for retrial in corruption case

The federal public defender's office was appointed this morning to represent former House Speaker Pete Kott at his retrial on corruption charges, replacing the Seattle attorney who said she needed a trial attorney to help her.

Kott attorney asks to withdraw after 2nd lawyer disallowed

A judge's decision this week to appoint a single attorney rather than two to represent former House Speaker Pete Kott at his retrial has led the sole attorney to seek to withdraw from the case.

Trial date set for Kott; judge appoints attorney for Kohring

Two ex-lawmakers advanced toward retrials on corruption charges Monday when a judge set an August date for Pete Kott's trial and another judge granted Vic Kohring a government-paid attorney.

FBI Surveilliance recordings

Anderson, Kohring and Kott

The strength of the FBI investigations has been the hours of secretly recorded video surveillance and telephone wire taps. We have produced almost all audio and video that was submitted as evidence in the three trials to-date: Tom Anderson, Pete Kott and Vic Kohring.

 

Key politicians

Sen. Ted Stevens

The most senior Republican in the U.S. Senate and Alaska's most famous political figure was found guilty of filing false financial disclosures but the conviction was thrown out.


Former Rep. Tom Anderson

Former state Rep. Tom Anderson was found guilty of seven felony charges of conspiracy and bribery.


Former Rep. Bruce Weyhrauch

Former state Rep. Bruce Weyhrauch of Juneau is charged with bribery, extortion and conspiracy.

Sen. John Cowdery

The oldest member of the Alaska Legislature was indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges. He has pled not guilty.

Rep. Don Young

Alaska's lone representative and the former chairman of the House Transportation Committee.

Former Sen. Ben Stevens

The former state Senate president earned $243,250 in four years as a consultant for Veco.

More coverage

Veco and Bill Allen

Oil-field service company Veco and its CEO Bill Allen are at the center of Alaska's political corruption scandals.

BLOG

Alaska politics

Reports from Anchorage, Juneau and everywhere there's someone with an opinion about Alaska politics.

COLUMN

Alaska Ear

The divine appendage dishes the scoop on political hijinks in Alaska.

Other politics in Alaska

State political coverage not involving an investigation or rumors of corruption.



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