Judge: Alaska Rep. Kott won't get a new corruption trial

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By Richard Mauer | Anchorage Daily News

ANCHORAGE — Former state Rep. Pete Kott won't get a second chance to ask for a new trial on corruption charges, a federal judge ruled this week.

U.S. District Judge John Sedwick on Monday told Kott he won't reconsider his Jan. 13 ruling denying Kott a new trial or dismissal of charges. New information that surfaced the day after his January ruling was insignificant and won't change his mind, Sedwick said in a one-page, unsigned order from chambers.

Kott has been arguing for months that federal prosecutors improperly withheld information that he could have used in his defense. But in his Jan. 13 ruling, Sedwick said the withheld evidence wouldn't have made a difference in Kott's 2007 conviction. And he told Kott his decision was final: "This court will not entertain any motion for reconsideration," Sedwick said.

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