Employees of the House Democratic Legislative Research Office, the target of a search warrant last August, have told state investigators that political work there was so rampant that many employees did far more campaign-related chores than legitimate state work.

“Our office was largely a parking place for people until they were needed for a campaign. It was a way for people who were political operatives to have jobs in nonelection years,” said Jason Lawrence, who worked there as a research analyst from 2005 to 2006 and is now in law school in Chicago.

His comments about the research office were echoed by three other caucus employees, two of whom spoke with investigators as part of a widening probe into political corruption. A grand jury probe began with questions after employees of both the Democratic and Republican caucuses were given hefty year-end salary bonuses.