Traficant filed an affidavit Wednesday from Danette Palmer, who said she was intimidated by agent Mike Pikunas last week outside the courtroom. Palmer said she needed medication to calm her after the confrontation.

U.S. District Judge Lesley Wells told Traficant -- who is defending himself even though he is not a lawyer -- that he has a responsibility to back up his claims with court motions.

"This is not anything to play around with," Wells said after the jury had been dismissed.

Traficant apologized and said he would file a supporting motion before testimony resumed Thursday.

Palmer, who serves as a liaison between Capitol Hill and Traficant's district, said in the affidavit that she tried to give Traficant information about steel legislation Thursday, but the courtroom door was locked. She said Pikunas persisted in asking whether she was helping Traficant in his trial.

Under House ethics rules, Palmer can assist Traficant only in his "legislative and representational duties" while on taxpayer-paid time.

The FBI denies any wrongdoing and the agent did not intimidate her, said John Kane, an FBI supervisor in Youngstown.

Traficant, 60, who represents a northeast Ohio district, is on trial on charges he received gifts and free labor from businessmen for his political help and took cash kickbacks and free labor from staff members.

He has denied the allegations.

The nine-term Democrat has accused the government of having a vendetta against him because he successfully defended himself in a 1983 federal corruption case. But Wells has ruled he cannot use that argument in court.

Traficant told reporters Wednesday he has not decided whether he will testify.

Prosecutors laid some of the groundwork Wednesday for charges that John J. Cafaro, a multimillionaire businessman, repaired and bought Traficant's boat in return for lobbying help. Cafaro has pleaded guilty to conspiracy.

Dominic Rosselli Jr., chief financial officer of Cafaro Co., testified that Cafaro sought the congressman's help to get Federal Aviation Administration approval of a laser guidance system.

Cafaro's now-defunct U.S. Aerospace Group lost more than $10 million on the venture, Rosselli said.

Prosecutor Craig Morford showed the jury a 1998 news release in which Traficant said he would work to get airports to install the technology.