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'''David Hossein Safavian''' was nominated by President [[George W. Bush]] as Administrator, [http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/procurement/ Office of Federal Procurement Policy], [[Office of Management and Budget]] (OMB) on January 22, 2004. He [http://www.fcw.com/article90857-09-19-05-Web&RSS=yes resigned] Friday, September 16, 2005, and ". [[Robert A. Burton]], OFPP’s associate administrator, is now took over "managing the office." '''Convicted'''<br>On June 20, 2006, in the "first trial to emerge from the scandal surrounding" former business partner [[Jack Abramoff]], Safavian was "convicted on four of five felony counts of lying and obstruction" and the "verdict gave a boost to the wide-ranging influence peddling probe that focuses on Abramoff's dealings with [[Congress]]." Also highlighted in the case was the name of Rep. [[Bob Ney]] (R-OH). "A key witness in the case was [[Neil Volz]], a convicted partner of Abramoff's and ex-chief of staff to Ney. Prosecutors introduced hundreds of e-mails exchanged among Safavian, Abramoff, Volz and others in 2002." [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LOBBYIST_PROBE?SITE=1010WINS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT]
'''Indicted for Corruption'''<br>
Until Safavian's arrest on September 19, 2005, for [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/19/AR2005091901859.html making] "repeated false statements to government officials and investigators about a golf trip" to Scotland he took in 2002 with [[Jack Abramoff]], the connection between Abramoff's corruption and his [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2005/09/20/BL2005092000753_pf.html connections] to the [[Bush administration]] had been "relatively weak." [http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/5299.html]
'''Indicted for Felony'''<br>
The new [http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/press_room/press_releases/2005_4245_SafavianIndict100505.pdf five-count felony indictment] covers the period May 16, 2002, until January 2004, when Safavian was chief of staff at the General Services Administration. Safavian has been charged with "obstructing a GSA proceeding, obstructing a U.S. Senate proceeding, and making false statements, Assistant Attorney General [[Alice S. Fisher]] of the Criminal Division announced." "Each count carries a potential top penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine." --[http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=54613 ''US Newswire]/[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/05/AR2005100501640.html ''Washington Post'', October 5, 2005].
----
Safavian, the [[Bush administration]]’s "top federal procurement officer" in the Office of Management and Budget, was arrested September 19, 2005, "based on a three-count criminal complaint filed in federal court, according to a [[Justice Department]] [http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2005/September/05_crm_490.htm statement]." [http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/092005/brief1.html]
"The Jack Abramoff [[lobbying]] scandal reached into the White House," [[Dan Froomkin ]] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2005/09/20/BL2005092000753_pf.html wrote] in the September 20, 2005, ''Washington Post'', "picking off" President Bush's "top procurement official -- who just barely had time to resign before being arrested."
"The complaint, filed by the [[FBI]], alleges that David H. Safavian, 38, a White House procurement official involved until last week in [[Hurricane Katrina]] relief efforts, made repeated false statements to government officials and investigators about a golf trip with Abramoff to Scotland in 2002," R. Jeffrey Smith and Susan Schmidt [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/19/AR2005091901859.html wrote] in the September 20, 2005, ''Washington Post''.
*[[Bush administration scandals]]
*[[outsourcing]]
*[[Paul A. Denett]]
*[[Republican 'culture of corruption']]
*[[Susan B. Ralston]]
*[["Team Abramoff"]]
==External Linkslinks ==
===Profiles===
*[http://www.whitehouse.gov/results/leadership/bio_390.html The President & His Leadership Team: "David Safavian -- General Services Administration, Chief of Staff of the General Services Administration,"] White House Appointee Directory.
*[http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=264 Title: "GSA – Is the Taxpayer Getting the Best Deal? U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs."] Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security, July 26, 2005. Witness list includes David Safavian.
===2003===*Amelia Gruber and Jason Peckenpaugh, [http://216.109.125.130/search/cache?p=%22David+Safavian%22&sm=Yahoo%21+Search&toggle=1&ei=UTF-8&u=www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1103/110303p1.htm&w=%22david+safavian%22&d=DsRim2FULc_3&icp=1&.intl=us "GSA official nominated to be federal procurement chief,"] ''GovExec.com'', November 4, 2003. ===2004===*Peter H. Stone, [http://nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2004/0327nj1.htm "K Street Stumble,"] ''National Journal'', March 27, 2004.*Jason Peckenpaugh, [http://www.govexec.com/features/0604-15/0604-15newsanalysis4.htm "Purchasing Power,"] ''GovExec.com'', September 15, 2004: "Where might David Safavian lead White House procurement policy?"*R. Jeffrey Smith, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55283-2004Sep27.html?nav=rss_nation "Foundation's Funds Diverted From Mission. Records Detail Spending By GOP Lobbyist Abramoff,"] ''Washington Post'', September 28, 2004. ===2005===*Stephen Barr, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24738-2005Jan20.html "Teaching Uncle Sam to Be a Better Buyer. New Procurement Administrator Will Oversee How Federal Contracts Are Awarded,"] ''Washington Post'', January 21, 2005.*[http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/20_5/federal/25717-1.html "Have a (hot) seat. David Safavian jumps into fray as new head of federal procurement,"] ''Washington Technology'', March 7, 2005: "Safavian brings to the job an understanding of both public and private sectors, as well as of Congress. Before working at the Office of Management and Budget, he was chief of staff for GSA Administrator [[Stephen Perry]] and also worked for two congressmen."*[http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2005/3216_traveling_partnership.html "A Traveling Partnership,"] ''Executive Intelligence Review'', April 22, 2005.*[http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-05-06-abramoff-bush_x.htm "Controversial lobbyist had close contact with Bush team,"] Associated Press (''USA Today''), May 6, 2005: "At least two people who worked on Abramoff's team at Preston Gates wound up with Bush administration jobs: Patrick Pizzella, named an assistant secretary of labor by Bush; and David Safavian, chosen by Bush to oversee federal procurement policy in the Office of Management and Budget."*[http://projectusa.org/ezine/2005/05-24-abramoff_and_norquist.html "''New York Times'' barking up right tree, a Greece Palm. Story ties Abramoff to Norquist -- scandal expanding toward White House?"] ''Project USA'', May 24, 2005.*Anton Chaitkin, [http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2005/3233abramoff_indict.html "Abramoff Indictment Makes Bush Regime a Fat Target,"] ''Executive Intelligence Review'', August 26, 2005.*[http://whyareweback.blogspot.com/2005/09/abramoffs-homies.html "Abramoff's Homies,"] ''Why Are We Back in Iraq'' Blog, September 1, 2005.*Florence Olsen, [http://www.fcw.com/article90857-09-19-05-WebArticles & Commentary|Articles &RSS=yes "OFPP administrator, facing criminal charges, resigns,"] FCW.com, September 19, 2005.*[http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=53613 "Former GSA Official Charged with Making False Statements, Obstructing Federal Investigation,"] U.S. Newswire (Department of Justice), September 19, 2005.*Billmon, [http://billmon.org/archives/002171.html "Beyond Satire,"] ''Whiskey Bar'', September 19, 2005.*[http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Lobbyist-Probe.html "Former Bush Administration Official Charged,"] Associated Press (''New York Times''), September 20, 2005.*Mark Sherman, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/19/AR2005091901141.html "Former White House Official Arrested,"Commentary] Associated Press (''Washington Post''), September 19, 2005; also [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/20/politics/main860975.shtml "Obstruction Charge For Ex-WH Aide,"] AP (CBS News), September 20, 2005.*Philip Shenon and Anne E. Kornblut, [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/20/politics/20lobby.html?pagewanted=all "Ex-White House Aide Charged in Corruption Case,"] ''New York Times'', September 20, 2005.::Note: Safavian is being referred to by the AP, and repeated by the ''Washington Post'' and ''New York Times'', as being a "former" White House official, when, in fact, he resigned just before he was arrested.*Laura Rozen, [http://www.warandpiece.com/blogdirs/002643.html "White House OMB official David Safavian arrested, for allegedly obstructing a GSA investigation and making false statements concerning his ties to Jack Abramoff,"] ''War and Piece'', September 19, 2005.*[http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2005/09/top_procurement.html "Top Procurement Official Safavian Arrested,"] Project On Government Oversight, September 19, 2005.*[http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2005/09/safavian_the_lo.html "Safavian the Lobbyist,"] Project On Government Oversight, September 19, 2005.*[http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/5299.html "Abramoff's corruption spreads to the Bush administration,"] ''The Carpetbagger Report'', September 20, 2005.*[http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/092005/brief1.html "Abramoff associate arrested,"] ''The Hill'', September 20, 2005. *R. Jeffrey Smith and Susan Schmidt, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/19/AR2005091901859.html "Bush Official Arrested in Corruption Probe,"] ''Washington Post'', September 20, 2005.*Dan Froomkin, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2005/09/20/BL2005092000753_pf.html "Scandal Visits the White House,"] ''Washington Post'', September 20, 2005. *[http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2005/09/safavians_wife_.html "Safavian's Wife's Recusal Policy,"] Project On Government Oversight, September 20, 2005.*John Byrne, [http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Email_from_arrested_White_House_official_suggests_powerful_congressman_lied_about_0920.html "Email from arrested White House official suggests powerful congressman lied about trip,"] ''The Raw Story'', September 20, 2005.*[http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/09/20/lobbyist.probe.ap/ "FBI: Former administration official obstructed lobbyist probe. Budget aide allegedly hid ties to Abramoff,"] Associated Press (CNN), September 20, 2005.*[http://www.buzzflash.com/alerts/05/09/ale05142.html "David Safavian: An 'Old Friend' of Abramoff's,"] ''BuzzFlash'' Alert, September 20, 2005.*Mike Disharoon, [http://blog.dccc.org/mt/archives/003568.html "The Stakeout: David Safavian Special Edition,"] ''The Stakeholder'', September 20, 2005. Provides a good overview of some of the issues which will emerge regarding Safavian's OMB position and actions.*[http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=917053#3 "Top Bush Official Arrested in Corruption Probe,"] ''The Progress Report'', September 20, 2005.*[http://blog.dccc.org/mt/archives/003574.html "Pelosi on Safavian,"] DCCC Blog, September 20, 2005.*[http://thinkprogress.org/2005/09/20/safavian-school "The School Safavian and Abramoff Built,"] ''Think Progress'', September 20, 2005.*Susan Schmidt and R. Jeffrey Smith, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/20/AR2005092001758.html "Aide Was Reticent on Lobbying for Foreign Clients,"] ''Washington Post'', September 21, 2005.*Mark Sherman, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/22/AR2005092200767.html "Abramoff Probe Moves Forward With Arrest,"] ''Washington Post'', September 22, 2005.*Josh Marshall, [http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Comment/JoshMarshall/092205.html "Start the Abramoff conflict-of-interest discussion here,"] ''The Hill'', September 22, 2005.*Michael Isikoff, [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9470786/site/newsweek/ "A Washington Sand Trap. A golf outing trips up a widening circle of power brokers,"] ''Newsweek'', posted September 25, 2005 (October 3, 2005 issue).
[[category:corruption]][[category:scandals]][[category:politics]]
