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Cowdery resigns as Legislative Council chair

Posted by Wesley Loy

Posted: July 22, 2008 - 2:33 pm

From Wesley Loy in Juneau –

Just got word from Jeff Turner, spokesman for the Senate bipartisan majority, that embattled Sen. John Cowdery has resigned as chairman of the Legislative Council due to health problems. Here's his resignation letter.

Senate President Lyda Green will appoint Sen. Kim Elton, D-Juneau, as the new chairman, Turner said.

The Legislative Council, made up of seven House members and seven senators, is a committee that handles legislative business during the time lawmakers are not meeting in regular session.

The council soon could be taking on a high-profile task: arranging an independent investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin's controversial firing of former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.

Cowdery, an Anchorage Republican, has come under intense scrutiny in recent months. On July 10 he was indicted on federal conspiracy and bribery charges.

He is not seeking re-election this year.

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9 July 26, 2008 - 1:20pm | monty_doe

Stupid

Voters elected Cowdery even after it was revealed he was a thief when he contracted to upgrade Lake Otis Blvd. Stole the d1 and substittuted a lower grade material and the road had to be redone...But he's a Republican and for whatever reason was elected. He has always been and continues to be a ...RAT....

July 28, 2008 - 11:18pm | Sheridan_Sheraton

continues to be a ...RAT....

Hopefully with that reputation he can lead the prosecutors to several more convictions. Maybe that's the best reason to indict him.

Let's see where it goes when he starts singing. Contractors with the state we hopes!

8 July 22, 2008 - 8:23pm | inthe907

check who TRAVELed with this OLD koot

You will be surprised the same people (legislators) went time and again to these big and expensive globe trotting places- at the expense of BIG money

FIND who travels with this guy- you will want to know who else is on the take

7 July 22, 2008 - 7:26pm | Diogenes_lamp

Cowdery...

JUST RESIGN from the Senate ....period!

6 July 22, 2008 - 5:20pm | blulilac

How...

much damage did this one cause this time?

5 July 22, 2008 - 4:57pm | skialaska

Another corrupt old bastad going down in flames

I bet there are some really nervous good ole boys out there.

4 July 22, 2008 - 3:47pm | agnostic

Too bad...

It's amazing how Lyda wants to investigate Walts firing (& who really cares), yet doesn't want to investigate Cowdery who has been named in testimony as being involved in bribery. Thank goodness she isn't running again what an imbarassment...The Senate president is supposed to be a leader, then again look who she followed...poor little Benny. And who's coat tail will he ride now?

July 22, 2008 - 7:24pm | Diogenes_lamp

more than just named....

indicted for conspiracy and bribery! Great point though...It seems just a bit much that the majority in the Senate are willing to overlook this indictment, but are more than willing to investigate the Gov on an at-will firing....hmmmm

July 22, 2008 - 4:29pm | chilcoot

Agreed

Poor tone, but I agree with the sentiment.

3 July 22, 2008 - 3:36pm | doyousee

Lyda's Smart

She gets Kim Elton from Juneau to chair Leg Council so he can be the face of the Palin/Walt firing issue. Sarah already despises Juneau and disproportionally vetoes their projects. Now she'll just hate Juneau more and everyone pro-Sarah will dislike the region more and smarmy, condescending Sen Elton will just make it worse. Smart move on Lyda's part

July 23, 2008 - 9:39am | rfn

So this "leader",

elected whist posing as a Republican, concocts a personal-power coalition that hands immense power to Democrats and caps her career by appointing a Democrat to a key position.

Sad she decided to tuck tail and flee instead of seeking re-election. True, the fear of a primary loomed large, but all that could have been avoided simply by skipping the primary and going into the general election as a true Democrat.

July 23, 2008 - 10:52am | chilcoot

Palin's a Republican

Just so this aspect of this thread dies, Sarah Palin is every bit a Republican, as Republican as anyone who has ever been a Republican.

July 23, 2008 - 11:02am | rfn

So Ms. Palin

has the power to bottle up legislation in committees and recently decided to tuck tail and flee from a difficult re-election campaign for state senate?

What state did you say you live in? I only ask because there's nobody named "Palin" in the Alaska senate nor is there anyone by that name who tucked tail and fled from an election because it just looked like too much hard work to bother.

July 23, 2008 - 4:27pm | chilcoot

See above.

July 23, 2008 - 4:46pm | rfn

Ms. Palin

is governor. She was elected as a Republican. She is not a state senator.

Someone quite different, Lyda Green, was elected to the state senate as a Republican but formed a "coalition" with Democrats to achieve power. She is an reknowned expert in bottling up legislation in committees. Had she simply elected to run for re-election, this time as a Democrat, she might have had a chance. But she filed as a Republican. Surveys said she had been seen right through and had no chance in a primary against Ms. Menard. So, instead of running....and who knows, maybe winning...as a Democrat she dropped out after all the signs were up, the brochures printed, and the volunteers salivating over the battle to come. Except it won't 'cause she couldn't face it.

There are predictions that least three aging women in The Mat-Su Valley will perish of apoplexy should Ms. Green vote for Trans Canada should the matter ever be allowed out of committee and put to a fair and honest vote. I'd venture they are safe.

Sorry....I thought you were aware of all that stuff when I made my short comment.

July 23, 2008 - 12:37am | Sheridan_Sheraton

I'll have to look up smarmy

I'll have to look up smarmy but condescending I know.

How do you like that description Kim?

1 July 22, 2008 - 2:59pm | chilcoot

Resign from the Senate

Sen. Cowdery needs to resign from the Senate. He is not physicially capable of performing the duties of office. Furthermore, it appears that he is a criminal. He needs to go.

While he may not be convicted of crimes when all is said and done, the facts known to date show that he was knowing, active partipant in a criminal enterprise to provide illegal campaign contributions to a candidate. Furthermore, convicted felons have testified under oath that they bribed Sen. Cowdery.

It's all too much. He needs to resign. Anything less is proof of his utter contempt for Alaska and its people.

July 22, 2008 - 6:27pm | tkdeal

Felon not Felons

Only one person said that he bribed him, not multiple people. Vic Khoring was the one who said he did, not Bill Allen or other VECO reps.

July 22, 2008 - 8:24pm | chilcoot

Facts Wrong

tkdeal, you have your facts wrong.

Here's what the ADN says:

"Ex-Veco Vice President Rick Smith testified in Kott's trial that Cowdery, who was chairman of the Rules Committee while Ben Stevens was Senate president, was among the lawmakers that he bribed for help in passing the oil profits tax that was favored by the company and the oil industry."

Rick Smith most certainly was a VECO rep. And he testified that he bribed Sen. Cowdery.

http://community.adn.com/adn/node/112569

July 22, 2008 - 3:08pm | skinny_gal

No - don't resign.

Ok, so you don't want your kids modeling themselves after Senator Cowdery. I mean yes he's a scumbag, but he has yet to have his day in court. Most importantly, he's an important part of the Senate Majority Working Group, or whatever it's called. He's part of the team.

July 22, 2008 - 6:16pm | palmerbuyer

Cowdery needs to go.

He is physically and mentally unable to represent his district. The voters need representation and he is unable to provide it.

Combined with his poor health and his recent indictment, he needs to put the needs of his constituents first.......as does Lyda.

Lyda is being an enabler. She needs to just resign too.

July 22, 2008 - 5:52pm | bosshog

Lyda's Team

Nuff said.

July 22, 2008 - 5:59pm | rfn

What a role model!

When the going gets tough - the "tough" get gone!

July 22, 2008 - 6:06pm | bosshog

Writing on the Wall

Only when they see they can't win re-election. :)

July 22, 2008 - 3:27pm | chilcoot

Ask a Buffalo Bills Fan

O.J. Simpson was a member of a team once. So what.

July 22, 2008 - 6:19pm | tkdeal

And O.J. Simpson was proven innocent.

So what?

July 22, 2008 - 8:26pm | chilcoot

Responsible

I'm familiar with a jury finding O.J. Simpson liable for the murder of Ron Goldman. I never heard of a jury finding Simpson innocent.

It's amazing how difficult it can be to challenge what people deeply want to believe, facts be damned.

July 22, 2008 - 6:37pm | jacekones

uh, no

OJ was never proven innocent. He was adjudged to be "not guilty" because the prosecution did not meet their burden of proof to convict.

July 22, 2008 - 3:04pm | rfn

I still like the idea

of being tried before being found guilty of anything. Also of not being pressured to resign unless/until allegations are proven.

But physically being to represent one's district; another thing entirely. If that's not possible then the people are entitled to the representation they voted for. Even if they have to vote again or have someone appointed. Any less and they've disenfranchised and that's such an ugly, ugly word.

Of course I wish Mr. Cowdery a speedy recovery and the strength to finish out what he was elected to do but also would respect him if he just can't get back up to speed in time and allows someone else to get the job done.

July 22, 2008 - 3:26pm | chilcoot

Cool

Cool, so you think Rep. Mark Foley did the wrong thing in succumbing to pressure to resign under accusations of flirting and possibly having sex with pages, and perhaps using interstate commerce to entice children into sex.

And you think Sen. Larry Craig did the right thing in declining to resign after having pled guilty to lewd conduct in an airport bathroom, because he now claims he did nothing illegal, depite the near-universal demands that he step down.

And you think Rep. Bob Ney did the right thing in refusing to resign following his indictment on charges of taking money, gifts and favors in return for official actions on behalf of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his clients.

I disagree. I take these things on a case-by-case basis. Here, I believe the allegations by federal prosecutors against Sen. Cowdery, combined with the released audio recordings, combined with the testimony of convicted felons who say they bribed Cowdery, is enough to require a resignation. That he hasn't shows that he's more interested in himself than the people of this great state.

The man is beyond disgusting.

July 22, 2008 - 3:56pm | Observermp

Judge and Jury

Judge and jury? chilcoot don't need no stinkin' judge and jury!

July 22, 2008 - 4:27pm | chilcoot

Higher Standard

The job of judges and juries is to determine which among us are criminals. That's not the issue here. It will be someday, for him. But it is not now, for me.

Our public officials need to adhere to a higher standard than other citizens do. The fact that a person may not be a criminal is not sufficient, in my eyes, to say that they are worthy of holding public office.

I don't know if Sen. Cowdery is a criminal. I do know, however, that he has engaged in sufficiently sleazy conduct that appears to be illegal that he should, out of shame and a sense of decency, resign.

That he thus far seems to disagree confirms he is a disgusting person, a lousy citizen, and a terrible Alaskan.

July 22, 2008 - 6:24pm | tkdeal

Disagree

But you just wrote that you dont know if he is a criminal. How do you really know that he is "engaged in sufficiently sleazy conduct that appears to be illegal that he should, out of shame and a sense of decency, resign." What if he didnt do anything wrong? Thats why we have the court system and juries to determine that. I disagree that he should resign, not till he is proven guilty or can no longer hold his duties due to his health.

July 22, 2008 - 3:30pm | rfn

There always have been those

who felt The Salem Witch Trials should have been made a permanent part of our culture.

July 22, 2008 - 4:28pm | chilcoot

Maybe So...

...but I've never met anyone like that.

July 22, 2008 - 5:14pm | rfn

You are most fortunate.

Also in that chance encounters in mirrors don't count as "meetings".

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Cowdery resigns as Legislative Council chair