PITTSBURGH — State Sen. Jane Orie refused to agree with a prosecutor's suggestion that her former chief of staff was a “rogue employee” despite blaming her for any illegal campaign work that took place in her office.

Orie is charged with illegally using her staff to do political work that benefited herself and her sister, state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin. The justice is not charged.

Orie insisted she gave former chief of staff Jamie Pavlot handwritten directives to avoid such work but those orders were ignored.

Allegheny County prosecutors questioned Orie this morning about how that testimony compares with her description of Pavlot as a “wonderful, almost sister-like” employee.

The defense is expected to call character witnesses after Orie wraps up her testimony. Closing arguments could come Thursday.