Safavian (Bush Admin GSA Chief of Staff) sentenced to 18 months in jail (Abramoff scandal)

[UpInArms]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15446565/

WASHINGTON - David Safavian, was sentenced in federal court today to 18 months in federal prison. Safavian, a former top White House procurement official, and also the one-time chief of staff of the General Services Administration, was convicted in June of lying to investigators about his dealings with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Judge Paul Friedman said that Safavian was guilty of "abuse of the public's trust." And the judge made reference to culture of corruption in Washington which came to light in the three-year influence peddling investigation of Abramoff. Judge Friedman said, "in the culture in which we live in this city maybe it's harder to resist." The judge added Safavian's deception about his dealings with Abramoff may have been motivated by his desire to "hang out with the big boys."

Safavian openly wept in court as he asked for leniency and apologized for giving the appearance of impropriety but said it was not fraudulent.

"Yes, Jack Abramoff was a friend, but he wasn't my co-conspirator and I wasn't his," Safavian said. "There was no conspiracy to defraud anyone, least of all the taxpayers."

But he didn't say in court what Friedman said he wanted to hear. Friedman told defense attorneys he was leaning toward a sentence of 15-21 months in prison and was not convinced Safavian had accepted responsibility for his crimes. "Get up here and tell me, 'I agree I concealed. I agree I obstructed justice,"' Friedman said earlier in the day. "I don't believe he's done that."

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[aquart]

1. That's ALL???? Pfui. And him still lying his ass off.