ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A former Alaska legislator convicted of taking bribes to push legislation for a major natural gas pipeline was sentenced Thursday to 3 1/2 years in federal prison.

Former state Rep. Vic Kohring continued to proclaim his innocence and read a statement in court repeating his claim that the judge should have removed himself from the case.

Kohring was convicted in November of accepting at least $2,600 from executives of an influential Alaska company that provided engineering, construction and facility maintenance services to oil producers.

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