BREAKING: Ex-Official Sentenced in Abramoff Probe-Griles gets 10 months

[babylonsister]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GRILES_ABRAMOFF?SITE=WSPATV&SECTION=NATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-06-26-16-41-55

Ex-Official Sentenced in Abramoff Probe
By MATT APUZZO
Associated Press Writer


WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Interior Department's former No. 2 official was sentenced to 10 months in prison Tuesday for lying to senators in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, the highest administration official sentenced in the probe.

J. Steven Griles, who was the department's deputy secretary, had pleaded guilty to obstructing a congressional investigation, and a federal judge said he continued to make excuses about his lies.

"Even now you continue to minimize and try to excuse your conduct," U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle told Griles before doubling the five-month person prison term he and prosecutors had agreed on.

Griles admitted to lying to Senate investigators about his relationship with Abramoff, the central figure in a corruption investigation that has led to convictions of a former congressman, legislative aides, lobbyists and officials in the Bush administration.

Griles had asked to be spared prison time. Under his plea deal with prosecutors, the Justice Department recommended he serve five months in prison and five months in a halfway house or under house arrest.

more...

[aquart]

1. Read the story and I'm still confused.

The deal was five months prison and five months halfway house. That's ten months. He GOT ten months. How is this doubled? Is it now ten months prison and ten months halfway house? Which is 15 months. Or ten months prison and ten months halfway house? Which is 20 months. Or ten months prison and NO halfway house? Or no change?

REALLY badly written story.

[aquart]

2. Ah. The full ten months in prison. He got Hiltoned.

<http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/politics/4922034.html>

Judges don't like smartasses.

[Gabi Hayes]

3. and the former Alabama governor is getting thirty YEARS????

did you see that one?

[babylonsister]

4. Yep; here's a thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1187771&mesg_id=1187771