An aide to former Pittsburgh Councilwoman Twanda D. Carlisle testified yesterday that she believed Ms. Carlisle was ripping her off when she demanded kickbacks from payments to the aide for services.

"I started feeling like it was out of hand and out of control," said Darlene Durham-Miller, explaining that she gave Ms. Carlisle more than half her city earnings under the premise that the money was going to community projects.

A fraud investigator testified that Ms. Durham-Miller kicked back $19,480 of the $33,745 she earned for clerical work.

The prosecution called Ms. Durham-Miller, 48, of McKeesport, in its case against Lee Otto Johnson, another consultant investigators believe Ms. Carlisle used to siphon public money into her personal and campaign accounts. Mr. Johnson, who shares a home with Ms. Carlisle's mother in Penn Hills, was the councilwoman's campaign treasurer.

Allegheny County district attorney's fraud investigators said he gave Ms. Carlisle $10,425 of the $20,800 he was paid for a report on low voter turnout in District 9.

Assistant District Attorney Lawrence N. Claus said the 83-page report the defendant ultimately produced was cribbed from studies done by University of Pittsburgh scholars for the Urban League.

Robert Foreman of the public defender's office said Mr. Johnson is charged with theft by deception and conspiracy for submitting "inflated professional services invoices," but no evidence suggests his client didn't put in the hours to earn the money.

Mr. Claus said Mr. Johnson's accounting for services follows a compelling pattern used in deposits by three of Ms. Carlisle's aides.

Mr. Johnson, 78, opted for a nonjury trial before Common Pleas Judge John A. Zottola, who will issue his verdict today.

Ms. Durham-Miller agreed to plead to reduced charges in exchange for her testimony. She will be sentenced April 14 on misdemeanor counts of theft and conspiracy.

In November, Ms. Carlisle pleaded no contest to taking more than $43,000 in kickbacks from her aides. Last week, she began serving a one- to two-year sentence in state prison.