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ANCHORAGE - Former state Rep. Vic Kohring continued his quest for a new shot at beating federal corruption charges, this time with testimony from a friend who claims to have witnessed hostility a decade ago between Kohring and the wife of the judge who presided over his trial.

Fred James said he volunteered for Kohring during the 1998 legislative session and witnessed "a visceral distaste" for the Wasilla Republican displayed by Deborah Sedwick, who was commissioner of the Department of Community and Economic Development under former Gov. Tony Knowles.

Sedwick is married to U.S. District Court Judge John Sedwick, who presided at Kohring's bribery trial. Kohring claims the judge's conflict of interest should have spurred him to recuse himself. Kohring has asked for a new trial or a hearing on his motion to dismiss his indictment.

Kohring claims he did not connect Deborah Sedwick to the judge until she showed up for closing arguments in his case - an appearance that defense attorney John Henry Browne claimed demonstrates her continued animosity toward Kohring.

"It stretches the bounds of credulity to believe that the Sedwicks never discussed Mr. Kohring," Browne said in his motion for a hearing.

Kohring was convicted Nov. 1 of bribery, conspiracy to commit extortion and attempted interference with commerce by extortion.

Prosecutors last month said Kohring's allegations were made too late, were without merit, and were "nothing more than wild conjecture based on erroneous and stale information."

Kohring claims Deborah Sedwick lost her job as a state commissioner because of legislation he sponsored. He also claims an appearance of judicial partiality because the Sedwicks live across the street from the governments' star witness, Bill Allen, and that Judge Sedwick attended high school with another government witness, Rick Smith.

Allen and Smith were executives for VECO Corp., an oil field service company that financially supported pro-development candidates. Their influence in trying to pass legislation paving the way for a multibillion dollar natural gas pipeline was the basis of an FBI corruption investigation.

Smith and Allen pleaded guilty last year to bribing Alaska elected officials.

At Kohring's trial, Allen testified that he handed Kohring $600 to $700 or more at least five times.

James is a friend of Kohring's who attended the trial and commented on his innocence in blogs.