HARRISBURG — A former legislative analyst testified Monday that she spent about half her work hours on campaign efforts during the two years she worked for a former state lawmaker accused of using his staff and taxpayer resources to wage political campaigns.

Karen Steiner Blanar said former Rep. Mike Veon, a Beaver County Democrat, knew that she and other aides were devoting considerable energies to election efforts that included raising campaign donations, coordinating volunteers and sending out so many political mailings that a folding machine in her Capitol office always seemed to be running.

Blanar recalled how she temporarily took over the fundraising operation from another Veon employee, P.J. Lavelle, and was surprised at its scope.

"It was very big," she told the jury, now hearing its fourth week of testimony in the theft, conspiracy and conflict-of-interest trial of Veon and three of his former underlings. "I didn't realize how big until I stepped into that role."

She described how she traveled around the state to work on campaigns, with her expenses paid alternately by the Veon campaign or out of legislative funds.

Her work hours in the Capitol sometimes involved coordinating a phone bank the Veon campaign operated.

Blanar said two of Veon's co-defendants, Brett Cott and Annamarie Perretta-Rosepink, helped direct where the calls were sent, depending on the timing of door-to-door canvassing and direct mail.

On cross-examination by Perretta-Rosepink's lawyer Mike Palermo, Blanar gave Perretta-Rosepink a narrower role, saying Perretta-Rosepink was e-mailed the results of each day's calls as well as the names and numbers of district residents who should be contacted with constituent service help.

After news broke in January 2007 that millions in bonuses had been quietly handed out to legislative employees — she was herself a bonus recipient — Blanar said she deleted e-mails, documents and other incriminating campaign material from her House computer.

"It was made clear that there was going to be a problem, and it was going to be a big one," she said.

She testified that the fourth defendant, Steve Keefer, helped scrub her computer, but on cross-examination said she did not watch him work at her desk so was not sure what he did.

Blanar's testimony was expected to resume Tuesday. The trial that had been expected to last about a month is now in its fourth week with no end in sight.

Veon, Cott, Keefer and Perretta-Rosepink are charged with theft, conspiracy and conflict of interest. They are among 25 people to have been charged since the investigation began about three years ago. Seven, including Lavelle, have pleaded guilty, 13 await trial and one, former Rep. Sean Ramaley, was acquitted of all charges last month.