The man once called Alaska's most powerful non-elected official will be going to federal prison one day. From the Anchorage Daily News-

Jim Clark, once at the heart of power as former Gov. Frank Murkowski's chief of staff, became a contrite, convicted felon Tuesday as he pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge stemming from an illegal effort to re-elect his boss in 2006.

Clark was implicated in a conspiracy to pay for polls conducted in the failed re-election campaign of former Gov. Frank Murkowski in 2006.

The silver-haired Clark, an attorney and lobbyist by trade, entered his plea before U.S. District Court Judge John Sedwick, then turned himself over to U.S. marshals to be booked, fingerprinted and have his mug shot taken.

"I've got a lot of atonement to do," Clark, 64, said as he stopped to speak with reporters on his way out of the courthouse, freed on his own recognizance but with his passport confiscated by federal officials. His sentencing will be delayed at least six months while he demonstrates his cooperation with ongoing investigations.

Clark pleaded guilty to conspiring with former officials of Veco, the defunct oil-field services company, to secretly channel $68,550 from Veco into Murkowski's re-election effort. The money, used for polls and a political consultant, was illegally given because it was both a corporate donation and excessive, and illegally spent because it wasn't reported.

Despite the sizable sum, Clark told reporters that he never told Murkowski about the Veco assistance.

"I never spoke to Gov. Murkowski about what I've been charged with here because I wasn't very proud of it at the time and he expected, he trusted me to do things the right way and in this case I didn't," Clark said.

And Murkowski himself didn't express any curiosity about how his campaign was paying for the services, he said.

"That was not surprising as polls waltzed through the office one way or the other," Clark said.

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Clark said he hasn't spoken to Murkowski about his plea.

Murkowski was traveling and hasn't returned messages left on his cell phone. An unpopular figure after four years as governor, Murkowski was beaten in the 2006 Republican primary by Sarah Palin, who succeeded him in office.

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Clark faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but the government said his contrition and assistance could knock more than a year off his time and eliminate most of the fine. Clark said he expects to hear from the bar association about his law license.

How unpopular was Murkowski in 2006? The former Senator had held statewide office for 26 years, was the incumbent Governor, and got less than 20% in the Republican primary. Finishing 3rd! Murkowski's time in the state house got off on the wrong foot when he appointed his daughter Lisa to the vacant US senate seat created by his becoming Governor. From there things went down hill from Murkowski.

Clark was the power behind the governor, acknowledged here in a 2004 article that I mention at the beginning of the post. Considering Clark's role, I have a hard time believing Murkowski knew nothing about the deal. Clark took a bullet for his former boss. Maybe he will re-think what he's doing before starting his prison term.