John Henry Browne's Current Antics

A story filed yesterday by Brendan Joel Kelley at the Anchorage Press, is the first in-depth coverage so far of ex-Alaska GOP Representative Vic Kohring's appeal, filed Friday afternoon, for a dismissal of his three convictions, or for a new trial.

Browne's three main contentions are that Judge Sedwick's wife, who was Commissioner of the Department of Commerce and Economic Development during part of the Knowles administration, was the target of a salary reduction as a result of legislation sponsored by Kohring, and that Sedwick should have disclosed that fact; that Sedwick lives across the Street from Bill Allen and should have disclosed that; and that Sedwick went to high school with Rick Smith, and should have disclosed that.

I don't recall the matter of contentions between Kohring and Ms. Sedwick coming up during the trial, but the Allen and Smith information was public knowledge at the time of the trial. I think I read about the last two at the Alaska Ear.

I suppose the Sedwicks, at the time of Kohring's bill consolidating two departments into one, were making a lot of money. Not as much as Browne, but certainly more than Kohring. A reduction in salary of $10,000 to a couple pulling in at least a quarter million dollars a year might or might not be significant. Probably not. When you consider that Allen was able to buy Kohring's loyalty for - as somebody aptly put it - "the price of a used riding lawn mower," and a few hundred cheeseburgers, the amount $10,000 does seem significant, though.

I am not a lawyer, so we'll leave it to others to spin this out.

The Alaska Report has a countdown clock up showing how long it is until Vic's sentencing. And I've added the Anchorage Press to Progressive Alaskan Media roster. Also, there appears to be no truth to the rumor that Bill Allen has kidnapped Kodiak Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, and is forcibly feeding her Salvia divinorum until she submits to his lust. It is more likely that LeDoux is closeted with her campaign treasurer, finishing off her 4th quarter campaign finance reports.