HARRISBURG -- A judge yesterday denied former House Democratic Whip Mike Veon's request for a delay in his government corruption trial scheduled to begin Jan. 19.

Meanwhile, prosecutors filed a witness list that includes 76 names, including dozens of current and former legislative staffers whose testimony they hope will lead to the conviction of Mr. Veon, along with three former legislative aides.

Mr. Veon's lawyers had asked the court for more time to sort through 67,000 pages of evidence prosecutors provided as discovery material, but Dauphin County Common Pleas Judge Richard Lewis yesterday denied their request.

Meanwhile, Frank G. Fina, chief deputy attorney general, this week filed a three-page witness list that includes names of seven other Bonusgate co-defendants who are due in court this afternoon. Those seven are expected to plead guilty to lesser charges in exchange for their testimony against Mr. Veon and former aides Brett Cott, Stephen Keefer and Annamarie Perretta-Rosepink.

All are accused of using state resources to run political campaigns.

Another defendant, former state Rep. Sean Ramaley, was acquitted of similar charges last month.

Also on the prosecution's witness list are dozens of current and former House Democratic staffers and several agents who investigated the case. No lawmakers are listed.

The case has become known as Bonusgate because defendants are accused of distributing millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded bonuses to staffers in exchange for their work on political campaigns. The scheme was first uncovered by the Post-Gazette in 2007.

First Published: January 6, 2010, 5:00 a.m.