Kenneth C. Crowe II reports for the Times Union that jury selection begins Jan. 23, in the criminal trial of Republican Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin. The case is being prosecuted by the Public Integrity Bureau for the state attorney general's office. McLaughlin's defense attorney is Benjamin W. Hill of Albany, who was part of the defense team for former state Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, who was acquitted of federal corruption charges. McLaughlin has pleaded not guilty to the state felony charges arising from the alleged misuse of campaign funds. "Despite the constant attacks, we are ready to go — I'm 100 percent innocent," McLaughlin said on January 19. "This is a persecution much more than a prosecution. There is no case here, and a first-year law student could see that. So we're ready, and it's going to be just fine." McLaughlin declined to comment when asked if he was offered a plea deal to resolve the case and if he plans to testify at trial. The charges against the former state assemblymember arose from his use of campaign funds during his first successful campaign for county executive in 2017. He is accused of stealing $5,000 in funds from his campaign account on November 21, 2017, and falsely reporting the expense in campaign documents filed with the state Board of Elections. McLaughlin's trial begins as unrelated state and federal investigations of ballot fraud have already resulted in guilty pleas in U.S. District Court from two Rensselaer County GOP officials. Less than two weeks earlier, former county Republican Elections Commissioner Jason T. Schofield pleaded guilty to federal charges and admitted to fraudulently obtaining and filing absentee ballots using the personal information of at least eight voters without their permission. He pleaded guilty seven months after former Troy Councilmember Kim Ashe-McPherson pleaded guilty to similar federal charges. Read the full story in the Times Union.