Another former elected official is facing a jury in Alaska.  This trial also involves public corruption and Veco Corp.  And, the names of some very prominent Alaskans have been discussed during opening arguments:

Former state Rep. Vic Kohring's trial on federal public corruption charges opened in full gear Tuesday with surprises from both sides.

Kohring's lawyer, John Henry Browne of Seattle, reeled off a list of prominent Alaskans whom he said Veco executives claimed to "own," including U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, U.S. Rep. Don Young and Stevens' son, former state Senate President Ben Stevens.

"All these big names," Browne said, but in the defendant's chair is Kohring -- a man, the attorney noted, who slept on his office couch in Juneau and who lives in a trailer in Wasilla.

Neither Ted nor Ben Stevens nor Young has been charged.

Prosecutor Joe Bottini offered a twist of his own. He told jurors about an idea hatched by former Veco Corp. chief executive Bill Allen to kill an oil tax bill with Kohring's help. Legislators were closing in on a rate far above what the North Slope oil producers wanted, he said.