COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two of the top Ohio retired teachers' pension fund leaders had their first day on trial, defending themselves as the state accuses them of participating in a $65 billion corruption scheme.

Franklin County Court of Common Pleas will be the home of a week-long bench trial, with Judge Karen Held Phipps deciding whether or not to remove State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) board chair Rudy Fichtenbaum from his position and ban both him and former board member Wade Steen from ever returning to public pensions.

Attorney General Dave Yost's civil lawsuit was filed a year and a half ago — all leading to Monday.

Assistant AG Chad Kohler, Steen's attorney Norman Abood and Fichtenbaum's attorney Richard Kerger made their opening arguments in court.

"The defendants breached the

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