As part of its racketeering and bribery case against former Probation commissioner John O’Brien, the US Attorney’s office is seeking to enter into evidence files detailing how Senate President Therese Murray’s office sought jobs for people at the Probation Department.

A motion filed Thursday indicates Murray employed a woman named Francine Gannon whose primary job was to find employment, presumably with the state, for constituents and non-constituents. (Gannon held the same job under Murray’s predecessor, Robert Travaglini, who is now a State House lobbyist.) The motion indicates Murray sponsored a total of 12 people who landed jobs at Probation, far more than had previously been disclosed.

The long-awaited trial of O’Brien and two of his former top aides is scheduled to start next week in US District Court.

The files targeted by the US Attorney’s office contain information on the Probation job candidates sponsored by Murray as well as Gannon’s correspondence with them, their references, and Probation officials. For example, the motion states that Gannon talked with Edward Ryan, the legislative liaison for the Probation Department, in April 2008 about a job candidate named Patrick Lawton. According to Gannon’s notes, Ryan said: “Pat had a bit of difficulty getting through 3rd round w/Judge!! However, he did get through it and it is now in hands of PO – He should be OK.”

The motion states: “Ryan is practically explaining the crime to Gannon, i.e., even though Lawton did not perform well in his interview with the judge (and thus, one can assume is not the best candidate), he is going to get the job.”

The motion also states that O’Brien spoke and met with Gannon occasionally about job candidates sponsored by Murray. “As was his practice, O’Brien told the Senate President’s Office who got a job before he told the successful candidate,” the motion said.

The US Attorney’s office is seeking to enter case files into evidence on six people Murray sponsored for jobs at Probation, including Lawton, Melissa Melia, Patricia Mosca, Antonio Mataragas, Dan Collins, and Carmine Guiggio. Only Melia and Mataragas are still on the payroll at Probation.

Murray has said in the past that she never had any knowledge of a Probation Department hiring scheme. She also said she gets frequent requests from constituents for references that she forwards along to agencies as part of her job. “But we have no control over any hiring process and the indictment does not suggest that I was aware of any fraudulent conduct with the Probation Department,” she said in 2012.

But the motion filed by the US Attorney’s office indicates Murray’s office was more than a passive conduit between job seekers and the Probation Department. As the motion states, “Gannon routinely keep track of who obtained jobs. Indeed, as part of her job, Gannon periodically notified the Senate President of Gannon’s progress in assisting candidates to get jobs. From time to time, the Senate President commented on a particular candidate.”