Reporting from Los Angeles and New York -- Comedian Jay Leno was hauled in front of his own union's trial committee Wednesday to address charges that he broke guild rules during last season's writers strike, a full year after the alleged violations.

The NBC late-night host was a prominent backer of the Writers Guild of America during the 100-day work stoppage, but he alarmed union officials when he announced on the air that he was penning his own monologues while the strike was still in full swing.

Leno contends that he did nothing wrong. He has the highest profile among a handful of writers whose cases are being reviewed by the committee, which will make a recommendation to the board on whether any action should be taken. Possible penalties include a reprimand, a fine and even expulsion from the union.

Guild leaders said Leno violated strike rules, which bar union members from performing "struck work" that would otherwise have been done by a WGA member.

The incident created internal divisions within the union, which did not want to alienate the "Tonight Show" host, who brought doughnuts to writers on the picket line and publicly championed their cause.