There’s been another indictment handed down in the ongoing VECO corruption case. Senator John Cowdery is the fifth and latest lawmaker who served in 2006 to face charges in the federal government’s public corruption probe. Cowdery has been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and extortion, and bribery, crimes that carry a combined maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. Cowdery is accused of conspiring with at least one other lawmaker and executives of VECO Corporation to buy votes on oil and gas issues in 2006. Cowdery’s office was searched by federal investigators in August of 2006, along with five other legislative offices. In addition, VECO executive Rick Smith implicated him during the trial of Pete Kott last September. Smith stated, under oath, that he had bribed former House Speaker Pete Kott, former Juneau Representative Bruce Weyrauch, former Senate President Ben Stevens, Representative Vic Kohring and Senator Cowdery. Cowdery says the allegations against him are not true and plans to fight the indictment. He’s expected to return from the special session in Juneau in time to make an afternoon arraignment today at the Anchorage federal courthouse.