MILWAUKEE -- A member of a committee evaluating travel agencies for a big state contract said that she suggested taking the bidding process a step further after Omega Travel emerged as the winner.

Lisa Clemmons testified at the federal trial of Georgia Thompson, the Department of Administration purchasing supervisor accused of steering a $750,000 contract to Adelman Travel. That company's executives donated to Gov. Jim Doyle's campaign.

Clemmons said that six of seven committee members favored Omega World Travel, but when Thompson objected, Clemmons suggested asking for "best and final" offers as a way to resolve the impasse.

Federal prosecutors have said the additional step was one of the ways that Thompson rigged the bidding process to favor Adelman, a Glendale firm with political ties to Doyle.

Prosecutors have said that Adelman executives donated to Doyle's re-election campaign. CEO Craig Adelman donated $3,000 to Doyle's campaign before and $7,000 after his firm landed the contract. Adelman board member Mitchell Fromstein gave another $10,000 shortly after the contract was awarded.

Clemmons said that she wasn't surprised the "best and final" process resulted in the contract being awarded to Adelman.

An indictment alleges that Adelman Travel wouldn't have gotten the contract if Thompson had not illegally inflated the firm's scores.

The contract would have involved booking up to 40 percent of state travel.

Thompson, 56, pleaded not guilty to fraud charges. If convicted, she faces 20 years in prison.

Her trial is being held in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee.