Another Bush administration official heads to jail

[babylonsister]

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/safavian_gets_a_year_in_prison_for_role_in_abramof.php

Safavian Gets A Year In Prison For Role In Abramoff Scandal
Justin Elliott | October 16, 2009, 1:52PM


David Safavian, the former Bush Administration official who was convicted for the second time in December for lying and obstruction of justice in the Jack Abramoff probe, was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison, the Washington Post reports.

Safavian, who was chief of staff at the General Services Administration, was also convicted of lying on a financial disclosure form about the costs of Abramoff's famous 2002 golf junket to Scotland, which Safavian attended.

The Post reports that Safavian, whose wife is pregnant, made a plea for leniency to the judge today:

Safavian and his wife, Jennifer, begged Friedman for leniency during a hearing Friday in the District's federal court, saying their family had suffered enough without having to endure a prison sentence. They are bankrupt, Safavian will lose his law license and he will be barred from ever contracting with the government, they said. ...

Friedman said he agreed that a prison term was appropriate and that "a light bulb should have gone on" in Safavian's mind that his dealings with Abramoff were questionable. The judge said he would allow Safavian to wait until after his child is born to enter prison.

The sentencing marks a victory for prosecutors, just a day after a judge declared a mistrial in the bribery case of Abramoff associate Kevin Ring.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. A good outcome.

Justice, tempered with mercy, for the coming child.

K&R

[EmeraldCityGrl]

2. Brought a smile to my face. n/t

[Uben]

3. Sad part is......

.....his incarceration will probably be a lot cushier than a lot of us have it. It's more like detention hall!

[madmax]

4. Club Fed... a real hardship. n/t

[classysassy]

5. Another small fish

when will the justice dept,get their act together and reel in bush and chaney?.

[EFerrari]

6. Good.

[Ilsa]

7. I wonder what "bankruptcy" is for them? Giving up the country club membership?

No private school? I bet a big portion of their money went to pay off the homestead (if it wasn't already free and clear).

When I was in banking, we had 7-figure borrowers that lived better in bankruptcy than I will ever expect to live. It meant no new mink coat for the mrs. that year.