The complaint, signed by three Democrats, alleges that Hughes and other voucher proponents formed a group called The Informed Voter Project and threatened a number of lobbyists if they did not donate money to the cause.

But a parade of legislative leaders Tuesday said they never heard of any such threats.

"I told them I had no firsthand knowledge of any of the activities they were questioning me about," said Senate Majority Leader Curtis Bramble, R-Provo.

House Majority Leader Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, said he attended some strategy meetings for The Informed Voter Project and a Realtors group, but they were ''nothing extraordinary."

"They asked me if there was browbeating and threats involved. Absolutely not," he said.

House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, testified in the closed-door meeting.

Hughes' attorney, Thomas Karrenberg, said the Speaker said there was a strategy meeting that Republican leaders called with members of the business community, but he could not recall if Hughes was there.

Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse, said he thinks the process is political payback orchestrated by those who opposed vouchers.

"This is extracting not only a pound of flesh, but pounds of flesh," he said.

Jeff Hartley, who ran The Informed Voter Project, said the group never met with business leaders or lobbyists.

"There is an allegation of a shakedown by Representative Hughes, and that on its face is just a fallacy on the part of the accusers," Hartley said after his testimony. He said the group was well-funded - Overstock.com founder Patrick Byrne bankrolled the group with a $290,000 donation - and it was not doing any other fundraising.

On the eve of the vote, a group of business leaders gave the project $39,000, which it used for a mailer.

Last night, the committee heard from two of the lobbyists - Howard Headlee, president of the Utah Bankers Association, and Ted Rampton of the Utah Association of Municipal Power Systems. Neither said they were threatened if they didn't give money to The Informed Voter Project, said Karrenberg. Rampton said he didn't know who Hughes was, according to Karrenberg.

Tuesday's testimony marked the fourth day of hearings into the six charges against Hughes. Testimony on the first charge, alleging that he offered $50,000 in 2006 to then-Rep. Susan Lawrence if she would support vouchers, concluded yesterday.

Under the committee's rules, the members of the committee and staff may not discuss the proceedings. The witnesses, the accused and their lawyers may.