MILWAUKEE -- A state purchasing supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Friday for steering a state contract to a company with political ties to Gov. Jim Doyle.

A federal judge in Milwaukee also fined Georgia Thompson $4,000 and ordered her to serve three years of supervised release following her prison time.

Thompson, 56, of Waunakee, remained stoic in the courtroom, but one of her supporters broke down in tears.

Judge Rudolph Randa told Thompson that this type of conviction "strikes at the vitals of government."

Thompson was convicted in June of two felonies based on accusations that she steered a state contract to Adelman Travel Group, whose executives donated to Doyle's campaign and then repeatedly lying about her actions. She could have faced up to 20 years in prison and $50,000 in fines.

Thompson was ordered to report to prison on Nov. 27. Randa said that he'll consider her request to remain free while she appeals her conviction and will rule in the coming weeks.

U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic had argued for a 24-month sentence. Thompson's attorneys asked the judge to spare her prison time and impose probation, home confinement and a fine.

Doyle canceled the Adelman contract, which was worth up to $750,000, after Thompson's indictment. He has refused to return the $20,000 in campaign donations received from the company's executives saying they did nothing wrong.

During the trial, Thompson testified that she wasn't aware of any donations, and that she properly handled the procedure when the contract went to Adelman Travel Group instead of a Virginia company.