Safavian Found Guilty

It's all over the news, but in case you missed it: a jury found the first person in connection with the Jack Abramoff case to be put on trial, David H. Safavian, guilty of four felony charges against him.  The Washington Post reports that:

The jury found Safavian guilty of three counts of making false statements -- to the GSA Office of Inspector General, a GSA ethics official and the Senate Indian Affairs Committee -- and one count of obstructing the GSA inspector general's investigation. He was acquitted of another charge of obstructing an investigation by the Indian Affairs Committee.

Safavian tried to help Abramoff acquire a General Service Administration properties, but didn't get very far. 

The seemingly endless number of corruption cases the public has seen in the last year from Duke Cunningham to William Jefferson casts serious doubt on the integrity of our government.  Though most government employees do their jobs well, many must feel demoralized when the system allows corruption to grow rampant in their midst.

-- Nick Schwellenbach

Comments

Nickster
You don't need to be so sensitive. Especially to the likes of K Street Buddy. It is called hyperbole. Although is "screwing the taxpayer" a technical term?

[Nick at POGO]

K St Buddy Redux,

I didn't exaggerate. Even cases in progress cast doubt on government integrity in the public's eyes.

It's true that I made too strong of an assertion when I said "most government employees do their jobs well." I need to look into that more. However, it seems clear to me that the vast majority of government employees are not screwing the taxpayer on par with a Cunningham or a Druyun.

--Nick

[K Street Buddy Redux]

Nickster,

Source for your claim that most government emps do their job well? Seriously, that's a strong claim? Does the government as a whole do well?

The corruption seems to be among electred reps and political appointees, you will notice. And you talk about cases in progress as if they were concluded--everytime POGO exaggerates, it diminishes your value.

[Bondo]

This molehill will grow into a decent size mountain after all the trails involving Jack Abramoff scandals are finished.

I think you'll find the info at http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/06/20/safavian-found-guilty/#comments interesting.

[K Street Attorney]

Safavian's attorney, Barbara Van Gelder, said she will seek a new trial. Prosecutors "will say how this was a great day in the war on corruption," she said. "I find they made a mountain out of a molehill, and now they're going to plant the flag on top of the molehill." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/20/AR2006062001626.html?referrer=email