From The New York Daily News, 6/21/06:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/428485p-361341c.html
Shudders on Cap Hill
WASHINGTON -
The first trial conviction in the Jack Abramoff scandal sent an
unsettling two-word message to Capitol Hill:
Who's next?
A federal jury yesterday found former White House official David
Safavian guilty of three counts of making false statements and one
count of obstructing justice.
Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a
$250,000 fine.
The jury found that Safavian, 38, had hidden details of his
relationship with Abramoff from a General Services Administration
ethics lawyer, the GSA's inspector general's office and the Senate
Indian Affairs Committee and had obstructed the inspector general.
He was acquitted of another obstruction charge.
Federal prosecutors had painted Safavian as someone who took advantage
of his position to help Abramoff, a former top Washington lobbyist
with strong ties to congressional leaders, particularly Republicans.
Abramoff pleaded guilty in January to fraud and is cooperating with
prosecutors in a corruption probe that could bring down more officials
and lawmakers.
He supplied prosecutors with many of the e-mails between himself and
Safavian that were used to convict the former Bush administration
official.
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The opening gun.
Harry
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