Former Alaska Lawmaker Convicted
September 25, 2007
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Former Alaska lawmaker Pete Kott, accused of trading his legislative influence for bribes, was convicted Tuesday of corruption charges.
Kott, who served as speaker of the House, was convicted of conspiracy to solicit financial benefits, extortion and bribery. He was acquitted of wire fraud.
The case spotlighted Kott’s dealings with VECO Corp., which stood to make millions if a more than $20 billion natural gas pipeline were built.
The two-week trial carried wider implications, including testimony from VECO chief Bill Allen that he doled out more than $400,000 in bribes to various officials and had company workers remodel the home of Sen. Ted Stevens.