Browne withdraws as Kohring's attorney

The Seattle lawyer who has represented former Alaska state Rep. Vic Kohring has stepped aside so Kohring can qualify for a public defender to appeal his conviction on federal corruption charges.

John Henry Browne withdrew this week.

Browne told the Anchorage Daily News that Kohring is broke. Kohring noted in a recent divorce filing that he is getting supplies from a food bank.

Browne says he would have liked to handle the appeal, but he can't afford to work for free.

Kohring has been sentenced to serve 3 1/2 years in a federal prison in Oregon. A jury decided in November that Kohring had conspired with executives of an oil field services company, VECO Corp., to push through an oil tax favored by North Slope producers. Kohring was convicted of bribery, conspiracy and attempted extortion.

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Information from: Anchorage Daily News, http://www.adn.com