MADISON, Wis. -- A former staffer for state Rep. Scott Jensen said that the legislator's employees sorted campaign donations and kept up a donor database in Jensen's office on state time.

Leigh Searl testified on Tuesday at Jensen's misconduct trial in Dane County Circuit Court. Jensen, R-Waukesha, is accused of using his Capitol staff and caucus workers for campaign purposes.

Searl said that she worked in Jensen's office from 1998 to 2000, and testified that half of her work time was spent on Jensen's campaign.

Searl said that Jensen would bring bags of mail from his house to his Capitol office, then his chief-of-staff would sort through the mail and hand her checks from donors to Jensen's campaign committee.

She testified that she would copy the checks on the office's copy machine and file the copies in a three-ring binder.

Later, she said that she was moved to the Republican Party of Wisconsin headquarters in Madison to do similar work, but she remained on the state payroll, WISC-TV reported.

Jensen's attorney, Stephen Meyer, countered during cross-examination that Jensen was unaware of what his staff was doing.

Lobbyist Patrick Essie also testified on Tuesday and told the court that he met Jensen privately about which candidates needed money. Essie said that he then went to his clients to get the cash.

Essie said that Jensen co-defendant and legislative aide Sherry Schultz would call him as followup to the meeting he had with Jensen and tell him where to send the donation.

Prosecutors believe Schultz was a full-time campaign fundraiser while being paid by the state.

The trial is expected to last another two weeks, and Jensen is expected to take the stand in his own defense, WISC-TV reported.

He is the last of five lawmakers who were charged in 2002 after media reports detailed similar allegations.

The other four legislators -- ex-Democratic Sens. Brian Burke and Chuck Chvala and former Republican Reps. Steve Foti and Bonnie Ladwig -- have made plea deals with prosecutors to avoid trials.

Foti, once the second-ranking lawmaker in the Assembly, made an agreement and pleaded guilty to corruption charges last month. As part of the agreement, Foti agreed to testify against Jensen.

Burke and Chvala were sentenced to jail time. Former Assistant Assembly Majority Leader Ladwig is expected to pay $4,500 in fines and restitution, WISC-TV reported.

NOTE: WISC-TV's Colin Benedict provides behind-the-scenes coverage of the Jensen trial in his new blog.