ANCHORAGE, Alaska—Opening arguments in the federal corruption trial former House Speaker Pete Kott are scheduled for Monday morning. And the sale of an Anchorage-based oil field company embroiled in the controversy was finalized Friday.
U.S. District Judge John Sedwick swore in a jury of 10 women, two men and four alternates Friday morning.
Jurors include a custodian at the Anchorage airport, a refinery worker from the Kenai Peninsula and a recent high school graduate who works at a bookstore, the Anchorage Daily News reported on its Web site Friday. Eight of the jurors live in Anchorage, while the other four come from Eagle River, Nikiski, Kenai and someone from Kodiak who has a talk show on public radio there.
Kott is accused of taking bribes and conspiring with executives of oil field services company VECO Corporation.
Two other former lawmakers also are charged. Bruce Weyhrauch of Juneau had his trial separated earlier this week from the proceedings against Kott. His trial will be scheduled later.
Vic Kohring of Wasilla is scheduled to go on trial next month.
The government claims Kott was in a pay-for-votes scheme with former VECO Corp. executives Bill Allen and Rick Smith, selling their positions on oil tax and gas pipeline legislation in 2006 for cash and jobs.
Allen, VECO’s former chief executive, and Smith, a former vice president, have pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy involving state legislators.
Kott is accused of taking payoffs totaling $8,993 and the promise of a job from VECO.
Allen and Smith have resigned from VECO. Denver-based CH2M HILL announced Friday it had completed acquisition of the company that Allen founded.
“Our extensive due diligence has confirmed this is an outstanding company with an exceptional work force and project resume,” Lee McIntire, president and COO of CH2M HILL, said in a prepared statement.
“The Allen family is pleased that VECO’s legacy of hard work, client service, and professional excellence will continue with this acquisition. The transaction results in over 4,000 VECO employees becoming CH2M HILL shareholders, and we see a very bright future for our loyal employees and VECO clients,” Tammy Kerrigan, who served as chairwoman of VECO’s board, is quoted in the same statement.
Details of the deal have not been announced.
CH2M Hill has 19,000 employees worldwide and $4.5 billion in annual revenue. VECO has said its annual revenue in its best years was $1 billion.
