Although not a lawyer, he is defending himself in U.S. District Court on 10 counts, which allege racketeering, tax evasion and bribery. The trial was scheduled to resume this morning.

Traficant, 60, could be sentenced to 63 years in prison and face expulsion from the House if convicted.

H. West Richards, chief of staff in the congressman's Washington office from 1990 through 1993, said Wednesday while testifying that at Traficant's request, he asked staff members to do repairs on Traficant's boat docked in the Potomac River in 1991.

"The congressman asked if I would round up some of the guys in the office ... to head down to the boat and work on it a little bit," Richards testified. He described it as a team-building experience but said some employees complained that the work was inappropriate.

Christopher Whitehead, a former legislative aide, said staff members repaired the congressman's 20- to 25-foot boat on a Friday afternoon. Traficant slept on the boat while in Washington.

"We were touching up the boat," which had flaking paint and rotted boards, Whitehead testified. "I did a little bit of scraping."

Whitehead, who worked in Traficant's Washington office from 1989-94, said Traficant had never personally asked him to do chores.

During cross-examination, Traficant asked Whitehead if "people wanted to help me with my run-down boat?"

"Yes," Whitehead responded.

Asked by prosecutors whether staff members volunteered or were ordered to do personal chores for Traficant, Richards said, "There's a fine line there, I guess."

A handyman, Joe Altiero, said Prime Contractors, of Youngstown, Ohio, had hired him as a mechanic, but that in late 1995 he was sent to repair some machinery at Traficant's horse farm.

He said he worked on and off at the farm for six months while still on Prime Contractors payroll and that all of his pay came from the company. He said his tasks included cleaning out horse stalls, repairing the barn, fixing barbed wire fencing and helping Traficant bale hay.

Altiero said he was assigned tasks by Traficant, or a woman named Sandy, who Altiero described as Traficant's former girlfriend who lived at the farm.

Outside the courthouse, Traficant, who is married, would not comment on his relationship with the woman, other than to say, "I have friends. Some are boys, some are girls."

The government alleges that Traficant intervened on behalf of Robert and Anthony Bucci, the owners of Prime Contractors, urging federal and state highway officials to accept bids from the company despite labor violations by the company.