BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland state Sen. Ulysses Currie has incredible people skills, but no one would call him smart, the first witness for the defense testified in Currie's bribery trial.

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Former Delegate Timothy Maloney testified Monday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. Maloney, an attorney who served in the legislature with Currie and testified how he helped Currie draft a letter to a grocery chain that later hired him as a consultant. Maloney said the letter outlined the consulting arrangement with the Shoppers Food Warehouse chain, a letter that stated Currie would not appear before the state legislature or local elected bodies on behalf of the company.

Under cross-examination, prosecutor Leo Wise asked about Currie's performance in the legislature. Maloney said he was good with people, but not with complex subjects such as the budget.