The federal corruption trial of former Alaska Rep. Bruce Weyhrauch will be held in his hometown of Juneau, a federal judge ruled today.
Earlier this month, Weyhrauch asked U.S. District Judge John Sedwick to move his trial from Anchorage. Weyhrauch said it would be more convenient for him to be tried in Juneau, and he noted that at least one of the expected witnesses -- former Gov. Frank Murkowski chief of staff Jim Clark -- is also from Juneau.
Weyhrauch lives and practices law in Juneau and represented the capital city in the Legislature for four years.
Federal prosecutors didn't file a response to Weyhrauch's request.
In granting Weyhrauch's request, Sedwick left the original trial date intact. Jury selection is scheduled to start in the morning of May 9.
Weyhrauch is accused in a four-count indictment of secretly trying to get legal work for his private law firm from the oil-field services company Veco in 2006 at the same time that Veco officials were actively lobbying the Legislature to lower oil company taxes. He's the last untried defendant in the federal corruption investigation, which began in Juneau in 2004.
Reach Richard Mauer at rmauer@adn.com or 257-4345.
By RICHARD MAUER
rmauer@adn.com