NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- The husband of a former congressional candidate testified Friday that former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland promoted his political experience to get hired as a consultant on his wife's campaign.

Brian Foley began testifying in the corruption case of Rowland, a longtime friend, related to the campaign of Foley's wife, Lisa Wilson-Foley.

Rowland is accused of accepting $35,000 in consulting fees from Wilson-Foley's 2012 congressional campaign disguised as payments from her husband's nursing home chain. Brian Foley and Lisa Wilson-Foley pleaded guilty in March to conspiring to make illegal campaign contributions.

Rowland's lawyer says his client was a campaign volunteer, and was paid for giving Foley advice on his health care business.

Rowland has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, falsifying records in a federal investigation, causing false statements to be made to the Federal Election Commission and causing illegal campaign contributions. He served 10 months in federal prison a decade ago for taking illegal gifts while in office.

Foley, in about an hour on the stand Friday afternoon, said Rowland told him and his wife she wouldn't need a Washington consultant because of his knowledge of Connecticut politics. Foley said he and Wilson-Foley hesitated at first because of Rowland's prior corruption conviction.

Foley continues his testimony Monday when the trial's second week begins.