HARRISBURG — Prosecutors refiled corruption charges Wednesday against a former high-ranking Democrat in the state House of Representatives and his one-time aide, less than a week after a district judge threw out the case for lack of evidence.

The attorney general's office also asked for the proceedings against former Beaver County Rep. Mike Veon and his district office supervisor, Annamarie Perretta-Rosepink, to be heard by a Dauphin County Common Pleas judge.

Harrisburg District Judge Joseph Solomon, prosecutors argued, improperly let defense lawyers delve into irrelevant issues and inadmissible evidence during an eight-hour preliminary hearing last week to determine if the case should advance to county court.

"It is clear from (his) comments that he expected the commonwealth to present 'conclusive' evidence or proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt," wrote Senior Deputy Attorney General Anthony Krastek. "This is contrary to the well-established standard applied to preliminary hearings."

Veon, 52, of Harrisburg, and Perretta-Rosepink, 46, of Beaver Falls, are accused of illegally diverting taxpayer dollars through the Beaver Initiative for Growth, a nonprofit agency he controlled, to hire consultants who performed little or no work, to rent office space that was hardly used by the nonprofit and to handle various political and legislative chores.

They are both charged with theft counts, misapplication of entrusted property, conflict of interest and conspiracy. Since last week, government prosecutors pared down the case against Veon, from 28 counts to 19. Perretta-Rosepink faces six counts, unchanged from last week.

Veon was the House Democrats' whip, the No. 2 ranking position, before his defeat in the 2006 election.