Although not a lawyer, Traficant is defending himself in U.S. District Court on 10 charges, which include racketeering, tax evasion and bribery. Traficant, 60, could be sentenced to 63 years in prison and face expulsion from the House if convicted.

The trial resumes Friday.

On Thursday, Richard Rovnak said he was hired in 1990 as a part-time staff member and made $750 a month to help constituents at the district office in Youngstown. But Rovnak said he spent most of his time at the Traficant farm, at times working 16-hour days doing plumbing, carpentry and electrical work.

Rovnak and ex-Traficant employee George Buccella are among several staff members to testify that the nine-term Democrat forced them to do chores for him because they received a federal pay check.

Traficant also is accused of accepting bribes.

"He tried to get me to stack hay and unload it ... with my back being bad, I just couldn't do it," said Rovnak, who slowly entered the courtroom with the help of a cane.

Rovnak said he asked Traficant to pay him for work at the farm near Youngstown because he was only being paid for 20 hours a week as a staff member.

"He said I was already getting paid," Rovnak said.

Rovnak later wrote a letter asking Traficant to pay him for the farm work but never got a response, he said.

Traficant sought to discredit him as a witness. Traficant had Rovnak acknowledge that he committed perjury in an unrelated civil lawsuit involving his sister.

"I'm not proud," Rovnak said.

Traficant asked if it was Rovnak's opinion that he was hired strictly as a farm worker paid by taxpayers.

"That's what happened," Rovnak said.

Former staff member George Buccella testified Thursday that he spent 100 to 300 days at the farm during his 15 years on Traficant's staff.

Buccella said that during weeks he worked on the farm he still put in the 30 hours of work on congressional matters that full-time staff members are required to perform. And he said he was never forced to do farm work.

"I was never given an ultimatum," Buccella said.