Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Second Day for Orie Sisters' Preliminary Hearing

State Senator Jane Orie and her sister, Janine Orie, are charged with using state office workers to perform campaign activities on state time. Allegheny County Judge Donna Jo McDaniel will determine whether there is evidence to hold the two sisters for trial.

Today, Senator Orie's chief of staff, Jamie Pavlot, is expected to testify under a grant of immunity. Yesterday, four former staffers took the stand. Among them was Sharon Cochran, who ran the senator's Natrona Heights office. Cochran talked about leaving the office sometimes to go campaign door-knocking on behalf of the senator.

During Monday's preliminary hearing an affidavit, that had been sealed, was made public when it was introduced as evidence. It included information about how the Ories used an intermediary to convey to officials at the Allegheny County District Attorney's office that if the investigation continued the sisters threatened to launch an aggressive attack.

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