PITTSBURGH — A detective assigned to surveillance of state Sen. Jane Orie's office said he saw workers remove boxes of documents during a weekend from that office.

But Det. Lyle Graber, who is with the Allegheny County District Attorney's office, in morning testimony of a preliminary hearing in the county courthouse, didn't reveal what was in those boxes.

Orie, R-40th, and her sister, Janine Orie, are charged with political corruption. Prosecutors allege the sisters used taxpayer resources to pursue the political campaign of a third sister, state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie-Melvin. Janine Orie is charged in a separate case.

The preliminary hearing began today with testimony from John Contino, the executive director of the state ethics commission. He gave examples of past corruption cases in the state, and he told the court that tasks such as using office staffers to stuff 500 envelopes for a campaign rose to the level of a felony offense.

A second witness, Russell Faber, chief clerk for the state senate, said Orie never came to his office seeking advice on what activities are acceptable.

Then Graber, the final witness of the morning session, began describing the activities he witnessed while assigned to watch Orie.

The hearing will continue this afternoon and is expected to continue through Tuesday.