Pa. ex-senator gets prison in corruption case

PITTSBURGH – A former Pennsylvania state senator has been sentenced to prison on charges that she illegally used her legislative staff to do campaign work and then forged documents to cover it up.

Republican Jane Orie was ordered to serve her 2 ½- to 10-year state prison sentence immediately Monday and was taken from the courtroom.

The 50-year-old suburban Pittsburgh attorney was convicted of five felony counts involving theft of service and conflict of interest for using her state-funded staff to perform political fundraising and campaign work, and nine related misdemeanors. She resigned from the Senate in May.

It was not yet known if Orie must pay up to $2 million in restitution, as well as legal fees spent on her behalf by the state GOP caucus.