http://www.themudflats.net/2009/03/04/corrupt-bastards-club-10-up-10-down/
Corrupt Bastards Club - 10 Up, 10 Down. 4 03 2009 A new development from the “Corrupt Bastards Club†! It’s funny to think back when the tales of miscreant legislators selling their souls and their offices for a song to oil services company Veco, was the big news in Alaska politics. Nobody was thinking about Ted Stevens or Sarah Palin back then. The names in the news were Tom Anderson, Bill Allen, Rick Smith, Vic Koring, Pete Kott and a slew of others… virtual unknowns to the national scene where the rest of Alaska politics seems to be playing out these days. But after a long string of the following scenario: Caught red handed, charged by the FBI, pleaded not guilty, convicted, sent to prison, we now have a different chain of events. John Cowdery, unlike his corrupt bastard predecessors, has admitted guilt. Seeing how the story played out for his guilty compatriots who were dragged off to prison, kicking and screaming, and proclaiming their innocence, he decided to take a different strategy. The guilty plea coupled with his failing health and a stack of letters from politicians, lobbyists, friends and family, Cowdery hopes, will buy him a light sentence and a dinky little fine. Cowdery is the 10th personto be convicted in the broad federal corruption investigation in Alaska, with one other legislator awaiting trial. A Republican who spent most of his working life as a contractor, Cowdery represented parts of the Anchorage Hillside and the Lake Otis Parkway area for 14 years in the Alaska House and Senate. Veco, an oil field service company, and Allen have been at the center of the investigation. Cowdery said he became friends with Allen years ago when both were contractors with similar backgrounds: poorly educated men who dropped out of school at an early age and turned to construction to support themselves and their families, eventually owning successful businesses. Cowdery’s crime? Conspiring with Bill Allen, CEO of Veco Corp. to buy another Legislator’s vote for an oil tax that would be favorable to Veco. But Senator Donny Olson from Nome, didn’t play, and all the while the FBI was watching and listening. That’s back when legislators thought nobody cared. …two prosecutors in the case,Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Goeke and trial attorney Edward Sullivan of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section in Washington, said Cowdery was a corrupting force in the Legislature. “It cannot be disputed that the defendant’s crime, particularly given his past leadership roles in the Alaska State Senate, has struck a severe blow to the public’s faith in the Alaska State Legislature and their elected leaders,†Goeke and Sullivan wrote in the government’s memorandum. Yup. No doubt about that. So, what will happen now? What’s the consequence for selling out the people of Alaska? For using one’s elected office as a vehicle for personal gain? For trying to spread the corruption around to other elected officials? For undermining a people’s faith in representative democracy? For trying to manipulate legislation that will take money out of the pockets of the state, and put it into the pockets of the oil companies….which sounds an awful lot like stealing….? One year of home confinement (with freedom to come and go for medical appointments), a $25,000 fine, and dropping an additional bribery charge in exchange for a guilty plea. Just to be clear, that’s what the prosecution wants. The defense is not happy with that. This is way too harsh, they think. They’d like six months home confinement and a $2000 fine. Any why, pray tell, should we cut the time at home in half, and the fine down to less than 1/12 of the amount at issue in the actual bribery allegation? The defense reminds us that: his health is bad, he agreed to admit his guilt, he was an attentive Grandpa, he has already ’suffered enough’ in public opinion and press coverage, and he has a long career in public service (in which we are to assume that he was pure as the driven snow, and never did any other bad thing, until this last one that the FBI just happened to notice). I’m sure if Mr. Cowdery had been a veteran, a boy scout leader, or a church elder, we would have heard about that too. Perhaps the jails should be cleansed of all non-violent offenders who admit their guilt, have suffered enough, have contributed to their communities, whose health is failing, or who can come up with letters of reference from friends and family? Justice is blind, after all, and should apply to everyone equally, right? I am not advocating for a justice system without mercy. But sometimes, when you’re presented with a good offer, and you know you have it coming to you, you should just buck up and take it. It might even gain you a modicum of respect, despite your previous bad deeds. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WebTV Dawgs/Dittos" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/WebTV-Pals -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
