JUNEAU, Alaska — A Juneau court sentenced former state lawmaker Bruce Weyhrauch to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine Tuesday morning, for his role in a corruption scandal that swept the state legsislature in 2006.
Judge Keith Levy said he thought jail time was not an appropriate punishment in Weyhrauch's case, and suspended a three-month prison term which was part of the sentence.
"It's kind of an immeasurable, but significant harm," said Judge Levy of Weyhrauch's actions.
Weyhrauch accepted a plea deal Monday in which he plead guilty to a misdemeanor state charge of allowing people to lobby him, knowing that they were not registered, as required by law. The maximum penalty for the state offense is one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
Under the agreement, prosecutors will drop a federal corruption case against him.
Prosecutors allege Weyhrauch failed to disclose during the 2006 legislative session that he was seeking legal work from VECO, when the oil-field services company was lobbying the Legislature on oil taxes.
