Stanford Law School professor Robert Weisberg, who has followed the case, said the government appears to have assembled a strong prosecution.

“This is a very strong case for the prosecution, very strong,” Weisberg said.

The presence of multiple defendants could extend proceedings, Weisberg noted, because each is represented by separate defense counsel.

Weisberg said the case will test prosecutors’ ability to meet legal standards that have become more demanding after recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions narrowing some public corruption prosecutions.

“In other words, inferences, winks, nods, whatever, might not be enough,” Weisberg said. “But even under those constraints, I think the prosecution has a pretty strong case.”