HARRISBURG -- Attorney William M. Sloane, chief counsel to the House Democratic caucus, drove 2,584 miles doing campaign work for the House Democratic Campaign Committee last year.

He spent two days in Beaver County campaigning for former state Rep. Mike Veon, hotel receipts show. He worked with poll watchers in Centre County. He made 10 post-election trips to Chester County, site of a crucial recount that resulted in a coveted one-seat majority for House Democrats, according to campaign expenditure receipts.

And he received a $4,945 taxpayer-funded bonus.

Now state Attorney General Tom Corbett is investigating whether taxpayer-funded bonuses like Mr. Sloane's were meant to compensate staffers who worked on campaigns last year, which would be illegal.

"We are trying to determine whether the bonuses were for legitimate legislative work or whether they were payment for campaign-related work," said Mr. Corbett's spokesman, Kevin Harley, who would not comment further.

Mr. Sloane was seen Tuesday emerging from Mr. Corbett's offices, where a grand jury has been taking testimony from witnesses in the case, the Harrisburg Patriot-News reported yesterday.

Mr. Sloane did not respond to a request for comment yesterday, but previously has said that all of the bonuses were given for legislative work, not campaign work.

Also seen leaving the attorney general's offices were Charles W. Quinnan, executive director of the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee, and Jennifer Brubaker, director of the House Democrats' Office of Legislative Research, which was raided last month.

In that raid, agents for the attorney general seized about a dozen boxes that they believed contained documents showing campaign work was done out of the legislative research office, which ostensibly exists to provide constituent services.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette found that eight employees from that office spent months away from their government jobs to campaign full time and they received taxpayer-funded bonuses of $5,000 to $15,065. One, for example, spent nine months campaigning and received a $9,565 bonus.

Legislative staffers commonly use vacation days, compensatory time and unpaid leave to work on campaigns. They are sometimes compensated for that work with campaign funds, but it is illegal for them to receive taxpayer funds for political work.

All together, House Democrats handed out $1.9 million in bonuses last year, four times as much as in 2005, a non-election year, and $700,000 more than the other three legislative caucuses combined. It was a crucial election year for House Democrats, who saw the opportunity to gain majority status for the first time in 12 years.

Mr. Corbett's office is investigating bonuses given by all caucuses, but the focus appears to be on House Democrats.

Grand juries meet one week per month for up to two years to hear testimony and view evidence. Jurors decide whether there is probable cause to file criminal charges. They meet secretly and testimony is sealed.

Campaign expenditure records reveal the ways witnesses were involved in campaigns.

Mr. Quinnan, who received a $7,185 bonus, campaigned on several days last year, records show. Hotel receipts show he was in Pittsburgh on campaign business from Nov. 3 to Nov. 7, and toll receipts show he traveled in the Chester County area, spending full days on House Democratic Campaign Committee business, on Oct, 30, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

Mr. Quinnan, of suburban Harrisburg, gave $250 to House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, $110 to the House Democratic Campaign Committee and $100 to Mr. Veon, according to election finance reports kept by the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Mrs. Brubaker, who received a $17,750 bonus, the eighth highest in the caucus, was not reimbursed directly for any campaign expenses but was a campaign contributor. She gave $250 to Mr. Veon, $500 to Mr. DeWeese and $500 to the House Democratic Campaign Committee.

Her husband, Scott Brubaker, who is the caucus director of staffing and administration, received a $15,250 bonus. Mr. Brubaker, who lives in Elizabethtown, campaigned for Mr. DeWeese in Waynesburg on at least four days, receipts show. He contributed $1,100 to Mr. DeWeese, $250 to Mr. Veon and $700 to the House Democratic Campaign Committee.

Mr. Quinnan and Mrs. Brubaker could not be reached.

Legislative leaders stopped giving bonuses this year because of public criticism after newspapers reported last year's bonuses, which ranged from $65 to $28,147.

A Post-Gazette investigation found that 80 recipients of the 100 biggest bonuses had worked or contributed to Mr. Veon's campaign, Mr. DeWeese's or the caucus campaign committee. Only three of the recipients of the 100 smallest bonuses were similarly involved in campaigns.