Former White House official David Safavian was sentenced to a year in prison today for obstructing justice and lying to investigators about his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
This was the second conviction for David Safavian, who served as chief of staff at the General Services Administration under President George W. Bush. His 2006 conviction was overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 2008. He was tried again and convicted in December.
The case stemmed from allegations that Safavian lied to GSA ethics officials when he had asked for advice on whether he could accept a 2002 golf trip to Scotland from Abramoff. Safavian did not disclose that Abramoff had business dealings with the agency.
Safavian later oversaw federal contracting policy at the Office of Management and Budget but abruptly quit before his 2005 arrest.
According to the Associated Press, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman said Safavian won’t have to report to jail until after his pregnant wife delivers their child.
