Court sets aside conviction in lobbying scandal (Safavian)

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Court sets aside conviction in lobbying scandal
Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:00pm EDT

By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday
set aside a former Bush administration official's conviction
for lying and obstructing justice over his links to disgraced
lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and ordered a new trial.

It ruled the trial judge erred in barring some favorable expert
defense testimony for David Safavian, a former chief of staff at
the General Services Administration, the agency that manages
government offices and procures material for the federal
workforce.

The criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department into
the Abramoff corruption scandal has also extended to a onetime
Republican U.S. congressman, various congressional aides and
other former Bush administration officials.

Safavian, a GSA political appointee from 2002 to 2004 who later
became the chief procurement officer at the White House budget
office, was the first government official to be indicted in a case
related to the Abramoff influence-peddling scandal.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1735301720080617

[pattmarty]

1. I sure hope they re-try him.

[kay1864]

2. I don't think that will happen here

This was not a mistrial; this was a judge setting aside a verdict. No re-trial, as that would be double jeopardy.

[Supersedeas]

3. who knows...maybe Mukasey was waiting for this