John Cowdery

Cowdery Pleads Not Guilty

Kate Klonick | August 11, 2008, 6:59PM

It's hard to believe it's been a month since Alaska State Senator John Cowdery (R) was indicted on charges of bribery and corruption.

He proclaimed his innocence at the time, and now, after getting his arraignment postponed, he's finally made his plea official.

From the Anchorage Daily News:

An Anchorage state senator with ties to disgraced oil field services company Veco Corp. pleaded not guilty to federal counts of bribery and conspiracy. John Cowdery, 78, was arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court. His trial was set for Oct. 6.

He was arraigned on charges of conspiring to bribe a fellow state senator with $25,000 in Veco money.

If the name VECO sounds familiar, it should. It's the same oil field services company behind the recent indictment of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK).

VECO's a gravy train that a number of Alaskan politicians rode straight to jail.

John Cowdery

Indicted AK Senator Steps Down From Leadership Post

Kate Klonick | July 23, 2008, 4:27PM

The cookie continues to crumble for Alaska State Sen. John Cowdery (R), who was indicted on two federal charges of bribery and conspiracy earlier this month.

Cowdery, who is set to be arraigned on August 11, stepped down from his post as chairman of the Legislative Council on Monday.

From the Anchorage Daily News:

Calls for him to resign rang out shortly after the indictment was made public, specifically from Republican Minority Leader Gene Therriault and [Gov. Sarah] Palin.

Therriault, who leads a five-person minority caucus that does not include Cowdery, has long called for Cowdery's resignation since former Veco executives said during the trials of other lawmakers that Cowdery was part of their inner circle.

Cowdery has not resigned, even though frequent health problems have kept him away from Juneau.

Cowdery told [Senate President Lyda] Green in a letter that he was not well enough to continue with his responsibilities as the council chairman.

"The day-to-day operations of the committee and its oversight is a time intensive job that demands the full attention of the chairman to work smoothly and efficiently," Cowdery wrote to Green on Monday. "Due to my continuing health issues I feel I cannot fulfill the duties required of me to fully accomplish the goals of the Legislative Council."

Alaska

Ben and Ted's Excellent Investigations

Kate Klonick | July 14, 2008, 12:41PM

There are only two elected officials left standing in the musical chairs among those publicly tied to the state's massive political corruption scandal: current U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens (R) and his son, former State Sen. Ben Stevens (R).

The indictment of Alaska State Sen. John Cowdery (R) last Thursday, means all of the state legislators whose offices were raided in August of 2006 (except Stevens) -- Cowdery, Vic Kohring (R), Bruce Weyhrauch (R), Pete Kott (R) and Don Olson (D) -- are now either cooperating with federal investigations, convicted or indicted. The FBI warrant allowing the search named former VECO executives Bill Allen and Rick Smith.

Allen and Smith were indicted and pleaded guilty. Their testimony at the trials of Kott, Kohring and Weyhrauch helped convict the three indicted state representatives. While Kott and Weyhrauch's convictions are pending appeal, Kohring recently began his 3.5 year prison sentence. Cowdery's recent indictment on two counts of bribery and conspiracy named an anonymous "Senator A" who was later revealed by Cowdery's lawyer as Olson. Olson followed with a statement that he has been cooperating with the U.S. attorney's office for over a year, and is unlikely to be indicted.

That leaves just the Stevens boys without a fall out. Both are under federal investigation for their ties to VECO, but the investigation of Uncle Ted also stretches to his suspicious pet projects.

As one juror at Kohring's trial observed after his conviction, "they didn't get the sharks. They got the minnow." Cowdery appears to be the last of the "minnows," but does that mean federal prosecutors will be going after bigger game in the near future?

And don't forget the other big fish: Seemingly more tenuous, but still present is the ongoing federal investigation into U.S. Rep. Don Young (R), for his own ties to VECO.

Alaska

Indicted AK State Sen. Cowdery Proclaims His Innocence

Kate Klonick | July 11, 2008, 4:28PM

Alaska State Sen. John Cowdery (R) was "holed-up" in the Prospector Hotel in Juneau yesterday, when he was indicted on two charges of bribery and corruption. He flew to Anchorage, where the Federal Court is located, arriving on Thursday night.

From KTUU in Anchorage:

He was asked at the ariport [sic] if he plans to fight the charges.

"I'm going to win it," Cowdery said. "I'm not guilty."

Cowdery said he had nothing more to say and that his attorney has already said it.

Cowdery's attorney released this statement:

"We believe, along with many others who are familiar with Sen. Cowdery's long and exemplary service to the people of this state, that the government has done a substantial disservice to Sen. Cowdery in charging him. This will be exposed for the mistake it is."

Cowdery is expected to be arraigned today at 5:30 ET.

Don Olson

Olson Has Been Cooperating with FBI For a Year

Kate Klonick | July 11, 2008, 11:42AM

The mysterious Alaskan "State Senator A" -- a.k.a. Sen. Don Olson (D) -- has been cooperating with federal prosecutors for "about a year" on their investigation of the massive public corruption scandal involving half a dozen state senators -- including former State Sen. Ben Stevens-- bribery by local oil and gas company VECO.

According to the Anchorage Daily News, Olson testified to a federal grand jury last month and has been "interviewed maybe a half dozen times about the events" covered in the recent indictment of State Sen. John Cowdery (R). Cowdery is charged with two counts of bribery and conspiracy.

Though Olson was cited in the Cowdery indictment as being the target of a bribe, it is unlikely that he's about to be charged with anything:

Olson has no assurance that he won't be prosecuted, but [Olson's attorney Paul] Stockler said it appears highly unlikely that he will be.

"I don't believe Donny Olson did anything wrong," Stockler said. Olson never received the $25,000.

Don Olson

State Sen. Don Olson Is Mystery "Senator A"

Kate Klonick | July 10, 2008, 5:56PM

From the Anchorage Daily News:

The indictment identifies the senator Cowdery was trying to influence only as "state Senator A," but [Cowdery's attorney Kevin] Fitzgerald said that person is Donny Olson, D-Nome, who at the time was running for lieutenant governor.

The document describes a series of phone calls as well as a June 25, 2006, breakfast meeting. Olson, Cowdery and Veco chief executive Bill Allen met at the Sunshine Grill in Anchorage, Olson's lawyer, Paul Stockler of Anchorage, said this morning.

[Late Update]: Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has called for Cowdery to resign from the Alaska Senate.

Alaska

Another State Legislator Indicted in Alaska Corruption Probe

Kate Klonick | July 10, 2008, 1:36PM

Alaska State Sen. John Cowdery (R) was indicted today on two counts of conspiracy and bribery. Cowdery is the latest Alaskan politician to fall in the wide-reaching public corruption scandal.

Former VECO Corp. CEO Rick Smith testified in September of last year that he had bribed Cowdery, and four other State Senators, including Stevens, for favorable legislation on an Alaska gas pipeline.

Cowdery was a former co-worker and friend of former State Senator Ben Stevens, who has been the subject of an ongoing investigation by the FBI.

Cowdery's indictment can be found here.