Anchorage Daily News

A federal judge Monday delayed the political corruption trials of former state Reps. Pete Kott and Bruce Weyhrauch by two months.

Kott's lawyer asked for the extra time to review evidence -- including at least 250 hours of video and hundreds of phone conversations -- that investigators collected in the case.

U.S. District Court Judge John W. Sedwick agreed, pushing the trial date back from July 9 to Sept. 5.

Kott and Weyhrauch are accused of selling their votes and influence to executives at the oil field services company Veco Corp. Much of the activity occurred during the 2006 legislative session. Both have pleaded not guilty to bribery, extortion and conspiracy charges.

Kott and Weyhrauch both now live in Juneau, their lawyers said. Kott, a former GOP House Speaker, had represented Eagle River. Weyhrauch, also Republican, represented Juneau.

The former legislators did not appear in court but phoned into the brief hearing, saying little. As he waits for his trial to begin, Kott continues to work on his flooring business, said his defense lawyer, James Wendt. Weyhrauch, represented at the hearing by attorney Ray Brown, is continuing to work as a private practice attorney.

In late May, Sedwick agreed to delay a similar trial for Rep. Vic Kohring, R-Wasilla, by three months.

Former Anchorage Rep. Tom Anderson also is facing federal charges. He has pleaded not guilty to bribery, extortion and money laundering.

Anderson had a court date on Monday, too -- a status conference, according to a computerized database in the clerk's office. But no public hearing appeared on the court calendar.

Just before Kott and Weyhrauch's hearing began, defense lawyers asked assistant federal prosecutor James Goeke if there had been a hearing to delay Anderson's case.

Goeke said Anderson's trial had not been continued. He did not acknowledge whether Anderson had actually appeared in court.

Anderson's trial is scheduled to start June. 25.

When asked about the Anderson hearing, U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Bryan Sierra said, "There's nothing public that I can disclose to you or discuss with you."

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