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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTVA-CBS 11 News) - Former House Speaker Pete Kott has asked a federal judge to throw out his political corruption conviction.

"I want the truth to be out there," Kott said. "I want the truth."

Kott was convicted in Sept. 2007 of taking bribes from former VECO heads Bill Allen and Rick Smith in exchange for legislative favors.

At a hearing Tuesday, Nov. 17 Kott's lawyer, Sheryl Gordon McCloud, suggested Allen and Rick Smith were lying. Kott's Seattle based appeals attorney says his former prosecution team knowingly withheld facts so they could win a conviction.

"There are five transactions that the convictions were based off of. The newly discovered suppressed evidence undermines the validity of each of those convictions," McCloud said. "And it totally undermines the credibility of the key witnesses of Pete Kott."

Kott's original prosecution team also handled former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens now tossed out case. Kott is using that as grounds for his appeal.

As her accusation's proof, McCloud cited 4700 pages of documents the Eagle River Republican has received since his June federal prison release. Further alleging the documents prove federal prosecutors made secret FBI tapes fit an untrue context of VECO bribes for Kott's legislative favors.

"What Bill Allen said on the stand totally contradicted the statements that were attributed to him," McCloud said.

While US Attorney James Trusty agreed the evidence should

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have been turned over during Kott's trial, he argued the evidence was not compelling enough for Kott's charges to be dismissed.

"This court has 56 tapes that were played," Trusty told Judge John Sedwick. "Mr. Kott's own statement that was presented to the jury that talked about $1000 payments that relate to the Murkowski donation. That talk about the flooring. But then try to say 'I thought it was for a future job.' "

Sedwick said because of the complexness of the case it could take him some time to rule.

"It might not surprise you to know that this strikes the court as a complicated problem, and I want to be sure I get it right," Sedwick said. "So it may take me a while. But I'll do my best to get you a decision promptly."

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