Corrupt AK Politician Waves to Commuters Before Being Hauled Off to Fed. Pen.Convicted former-State Rep. Vic Kohring didn’t seem to be the least bit fazed that today is his last day of freedom for 3 and 1/2 years.
Before turning himself over to federal marshals, Kohring spent the morning standing next to a home-made sign on the Glenn Highway in Alaska, waving to pedestrians and sipping hot chocolate (picture at left):
He said he’s not scared of going to prison, but has been Googling the Southern California facility he’ll live in for up to 3 and a half years. He could rattle off the population of the nearby town and the high temperature last week (103 degrees).Said he might write an autobiography while in jail, call it “Absolutely Innocent.” Plans to read a lot. Write a lot of letters.
… He said he spent the weekend with his family, and has been doing things like stopping mail to his mail box and closing his bank account. Packing.
“It’s almost like going away on a vacation. A …. Government sponsored vacation,” he said.
Kohring was convicted in November 2007 and sentenced last month for accepting bribes to advocate a natural gas pipeline. His trial was central in bringing Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) into the VECO scandal, with the testimony of VECO CEO Bill Allen. Allen testified that he was blackmailed by his nephew, who was doing home renovations for Stevens, which were paid for in part by VECO.
[Late Update]: The ADN has obliged us with some great video from Kohring’s roadside debacle and a heckler who stopped by to tell him to “give it up and go prison”… which he does at the end of the clip. Enjoy.