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Indicted Alaska Rep To Constituents: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
State Rep. Vic Kohring (R-AK) is asking his constituents today in an Anchorage Daily News op-ed if he should resign over federal extortion, bribery and conspiracy charges.
Kohring was charged last month with selling his vote on a petroleum tax last year to a local oil servives company Veco Corp. Two top Veco executives have pled guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges in a cash-for-votes style scheme that has drawn politicians at both the local and federal levels into the investigation.
Some members of Kohring's district have started circulating a recall petition and top Republicans in the legislature have visited Kohring's house asking him to step down.
Kohring recently said he would make a decision about whether to leave office by June 19. Here is a piece of the call to his Wasilla constituents:
Predictably the media has virtually tried me in their front pages and TV news stories. But my friends and supporters, gosh, I really thank all of them; they have stood by me loyally, telling me they know I'm innocent....I have sought advice from family, friends and supporters on whether or not it is in the best interest of everyone involved to remain in the Legislature while these charges create a cloud over me. I ask you, my constituents, to provide me your sincere opinions on whether or not I should remain or step down....
The issue is actually very simple. Can I or can I not adequately represent you while I wait for these charges to be resolved at trial?
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) admitted last week that the FBI Veco probe has now touched him and his son, former State Senate president Ben Stevens (R-AK).
Bu-bye now!
June 12, 2007 12:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does he actually mention that he is actually innocent of the charges anywhere? I mean stating that other folks believe you are innocent and are supporting you 100% (!) doesn't inspire confidence--uh and shouldn't, right?--if the Representative isn't able to actually proclaim his own innocence then, um, isn't stepping down the most logical step? At least the voters in his district have that opportunity. Let's hope they do so soon.
June 12, 2007 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't believe Vic Kohring wrote that letter.
Early in Kohring's legislative career, almost all his op-ed pieces for both the Mat-Su Valley and Anchorage papers were ghost-written by prominent Alaska Libertarian activist, Fred James. I discovered the fact around late 1996, by checking phrases in e-mails from James and comparing them to phrases which later appeared in articles by Kohring. Kohring is a clumsy writer at best, whereas James can be quite effective.
James has moved to Bellingham, WA, and hadn't helped Kohring with any articles for the past couple of years. But this little one WAS NOT written by Vic.
June 12, 2007 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have to agree with Parrot
"gosh, I really thank all of them; they have stood by me loyally, telling me they know I'm innocent...."
so some people are tell this schmick that THEY know he's innocent
but the schmuck doesn't tell us what HE knows
me thinks that mr kohring knows that HE IS GUILTY
so in addition tocommiting crime in the office he was trusted with, kohring is willing to keep lying to his constituents, and using his deluded constituents as a cover for his crimes
basically, mr kohring just said "SURE I'm guilty, but my stupid constituents don't realize that, so I'm good until I plead guilty to avoid a lenghty sentence"
anybody wanna bet that this case ends that way ???
June 12, 2007 4:09 PM | Reply | Permalink