Safavian Said Not Forthcoming on LobbyistThursday June 1, 2006 1:01 AM
AP Photo WX105
By PETE YOST
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Three ethics watchdogs testified Wednesday that a Bush administration
executive left out important details of his relationship with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff,
including information about a weeklong golf excursion to Scotland and England arranged
by the Republican influence-peddler.
Based on representations by David Safavian, the ethics watchdogs told a U.S. District Court
jury that they approved the proposed trip for the General Services Administration official and
closed an investigation of the trip the year after it took place.
<snip>
Each of the three prosecution witnesses said they would have wanted to know from Safavian
that at the time of the trip Abramoff was interested in two pieces of GSA-controlled property,
including the Old Post Office in downtown Washington.
The GSA's general counsel, Raymond McKenna, related how Safavian told him that he had decided
to pay the entire cost of his share of the trip, including travel on a chartered private jet
for which Safavian had initially obtained approval from GSA to accept for free. Safavian
paid $3,100, a figure prosecutors say is thousands of dollars less than the real cost.
<snip>
Full article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5857921,00.html
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