MILWAUKEE -- A state purchasing official facing fraud charges said she was never pressured by her bosses to award a state contract to a firm with ties to Gov. Jim Doyle.

Georgia Thompson, 56, said other state employees who testified that she was under political pressure to give the contract to Adelman Travel Group are mistaken.

Thompson testified for more than six hours in her own defense Thursday to try to prove she's innocent of two federal fraud charges.

Her defense is expected to wrap up Friday. Her lawyer said he'll call expert witnesses to show she handled the contract appropriately and had job protections insulating her from political pressure.

Thompson said she defended Adelman after other evaluators put too much emphasis on the style, not the substance, of the company's presentation. She said that is not allowed under state purchasing rules.

Defendant Says She Contacted Many About Contract

Thompson also testified on Thursday that she contacted as many companies as she possibly could to give them a chance to win a lucrative contract to book the state's travel business.

Thompson testified that she e-mailed and called dozens of travel companies across the country in 2004 to give them an opportunity to compete for the state's business for the first time in 12 years.

Thompson testified that she wasn't aware of a meeting between Doyle and Adelman executives in April 2004. Prosecutors alleged that the meeting was the beginning of the company's lobbying efforts to win the contract and pressure on Thompson to select a firm favorable to the governor.

Thompson is on trial in federal court in Milwaukee on two counts of felony fraud that carry up to 20 years in prison.

Federal prosecutors rested their case on Wednesday. They used three days of testimony in an attempt to prove that Thompson illegally steered a $750,000 contract to Adelman because of pressure from her bosses.

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

But an FBI agent who testified on Wednesday acknowledged that prosecutors could find no evidence showing Thompson was aware of political contributions Adelman made to Doyle or any other ties between the administration and the firm.

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.

If convicted, Thompson faces 20 years in prison.