Celona testified that in 1998 and 1999 he supported pharmacy choice legislation that was opposed by CVS, the giant drugstore chain based in Woonsocket.

"I was very vocal in the community and around the state," testified Cleona. "I tried to garner supprt in the Senate and I talked to seniors and my constituents."

Although defendant Ortiz and CVS lobbyist Joseph Walsh and Patrick C. Lynch -- now the Rhode Island attorney general -- lobbied Celona to oppose pharmacy choice, he voted for it.

Then, in 1999, he not only supported pharmacy choice but cosponsored a bill to allow it.

And he issued a news release in 1999, introduced in court today as an exhibit, in which he wrote, "It is simply unfair to the people who pay for their health care to have an HMO tell them who and where to go for their prescriptions."

In 1999, Celona said, he was also lobbied by defendent Kramer, as well as Ortiz and Walsh and Lynch.

Earlier today, a CVS employee who worked as Ortiz's assistant, tesified that her boss did not seem thrilled that Celona was on the payroll.

The employee, Robin Seeley, testified that when she asked Ortiz what Celona did for CVS, he gestured with both hands, palms up.

"Then he told me that John Celona went into the community, specifically North Providence, that he had a good rapport with seniors," testified Seeley.

Prosecutor Daniel Petalas asked Seeley what Ortiz meant by his hand gesture.

"I interpreted it to mean that what John Celona was doing didn’t have much ... sorry, I can’t find the word,” replied Seeley.

Special report: Keep up with coverage of the CVS trial and more on the investigation known as Operation Dollar Bill.