Jury selection is underway in the trial for a former Arkansas state senator accused in an alleged kickback scheme.
Former Sen. Jon Woods faces 15 fraud charges. Prosecutors accuse of him of taking kickbacks from former Ecclesia College president Oren Paris III in exchange for directing state funding to the college.
Paris pleaded guilty last week to one count of fraud and agreed to testify for prosecutors. Woods' attorney, Patrick Benca, has said his client is innocent and that defense attorneys will prove that, despite Paris' guilty plea.
According to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette , about 70 prospective jurors were called to the federal courthouse in Fayetteville on Monday.
