Disgraced Alaska legislator Vic Kohring thinks Wasilla voters should give him another chance and elect him to their city council.
Kohring filed Friday afternoon for a three-year term for Wasilla City Council Seat F, according to the City Clerk's office. That seat is currently held by Brandon Wall, who has filed for re-election. Friday was the last day to file for the Oct. 1 election.
In an announcement emailed to news media, Kohring addressed his felony conviction on federal corruption charges by saying "it's in the past and time to move on." But he also apologized for his "carelessness" and taking what he described as "small gifts" from "friends."
Kohring was one of six legislators charged and convicted in the corruption scandal that surfaced with FBI raids on his office and others in 2006. A jury convicted him in November 2007 of extortion, bribery and conspiracy and a federal judge sentenced him to 31/2 years in prison. He appealed and got a new trial when the Justice Department admitted withholding information from Kohring's defense -- similar misconduct that led to dismissal of charges against U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens after a jury found him guilty of disclosure violations.
Instead of going through a new trial on three felonies, Kohring pleaded guilty Oct. 21, 2011, to a single federal felony for accepting bribes and was sentenced to the time he had served in federal prison: one year, plus 18 months probation. He admitted taking $1,000 cash at a Juneau restaurant from Veco chairman Bill Allen, who was trying to lower oil production taxes in the 2006 Legislature, and to asking Allen to pay a $17,000 credit card debt.
Oh yeah, I think that Wasilla might welcome him with open arms.
After all he is certainly NOT the worst criminal that they will have had serve on the Wasilla City Counsel, now is he?
