David Safavian: Abramoff's Bag Man

David Safavian, the Bush Administration's former chief contracting and procurement official at OMB, is in court today for his ongoing Federal corruption trial, in connection with Jack Abramoff's questionable business dealings with the Bush Administration and Republican members of Congress. Safavian repeatedly told investigators that he had no ongoing business with the Republican mega-lobbyist. However, during that time, Safavian was helping Abramoff lease government property controlled by the agency where he worked. He gave him advice over email, reviewed memos that Abramoff was sending to other GSA employees, and set up a meeting for Abramoff's wife and business partner with Administration officials. To say thank you, Abramoff took him to Scotland on a golf junket with Republican members of Congress. But Safavian didn't rest on his laurels. Up until his arrest, he was busy setting contracting policy for billions in federal funds earmarked for the Gulf Coast relief effort. This is what Bush's policies of political cronyism and patronage produces: political hacks and lobbyists handling billions of dollars in taxpayer funds, while jetting off to Europe on trips paid for by their old lobbying partners.

Safavian Arrested In Connection With Abramoff Probe. The Bush Administration's chief contracting and procurement official at OMB, David Safavian, was arrested on charges of making false statements to an ethics official, making false statements to the General Services Agency's Inspector General, and obstruction of a GSA-IG investigation. [Washington Post, 9/20/05; DOJ Release, 9/19/05]

• Safavian Accused of Lying About Abramoff Contacts, At Least Three Times. "The complaint alleges that Safavian lied about his contacts with Abramoff on three occasions after his initial false pledge to the GSA ethics officer. The first was during a 2003 investigation by GSA's inspector general, who was responding to an anonymous tipster's hotline complaint; the second was in a March 17, 2005, letter to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs; and the third was during an FBI interview on May 26, 2005." [Washington Post, 9/20/05]

Safavian Provided Hands on Assistance to Help Abramoff Lease GSA Property, Even as He Lied to the GSA Ethics Officer. In the days leading up to his trip with Abramoff, Safavian had extensive contact with Abramoff regarding his business with GSA. In July of 2002, they discussed the need for possible "Hill pressure to close the deal on the office space in the Old Post Office building. On the same day that Safavian discussed the golf trip with the GSA ethics officer, assuring him that Abramoff had no business with GSA, Safavian emailed Abramoff from his personal computer, advising Abramoff on how to "lay out a case for this lease." The day before the Scotland trip Safavian arranged for a meeting between Abramoff's wife and business partner and GSA officials to discuss the lease. [Washington Post, 9/20/05]

After Returning from Scotland, Safavian Attempted To Hide His Efforts to Influence GSA Business With Jack Abramoff. According to the FBI, Safavian, who was Chief of Staff at the GSA, asked for clearance to take a golf trip to Scotland with Abramoff, Congressman Bob Ney, and Ralph Reed, from the GSA's Ethics Officer and signed an affidavit that Abramoff had no ongoing business with GSA. However, according to FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Reising, Abramoff was currently attempting to lease two GSA controlled properties in the Washington D.C. area, one in Silver Spring, MD for use by the Hebrew School he had started, and another in the Old Post Office building in downtown Washington for a client. [Washington Post, 9/20/05]

Safavian Was Working On Katrina Relief Efforts Before Being Arrested. Safavian, in his capacity as the chief procurement official for the Office of Management and Budget, was involved in the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, until he was charged and arrested for lying to a government investigator. According to the New York Times, "Mr. Safavian had recently been working on developing contracting policies for the multibillion-dollar relief effort after Hurricane Katrina." [Washington Post, 9/20/05; New York Times, 9/20/05]

Safavian's Wife Was Chief Counsel for Republicans On Committee That Would Investigate Katrina, Had Oversight Of Safavian's Work. "His wife, Jennifer Safavian, is chief counsel for oversight and investigations on the House Government Reform Committee, which is responsible for overseeing government procurement and is, among other things, expected to conduct the Congressional investigation into missteps after Hurricane Katrina." [New York Times, 9/20/05]

Safavian Had Limited Background in Procurement When Nominated by Bush. "'He doesn't have a lot of background in procurement, so the hope is that he's a good learner,' says Steven Kelman, who served as federal procurement administrator in the Clinton administration. 'I don't know where David Safavian comes out on [acquisition reform],' says Allan Burman, another former procurement chief. Angela Styles, who held the top acquisition post until last September, says Safavian has 'no apparent philosophy' on procurement issues." [www.govexec.com, 6/15/04]

• Qualifications for Employment: Norquist Connections. "Safavian, in addition to once working on the Hill as an aide to lawmakers, has also been a lobbyist. He was a co-founder of the lobby and consulting shop Janus-Merritt Strategies -- with Grover Norquist, a Republican anti-tax activist -- and has lobbied for the National Indian Gaming Association, the Interactive Gaming Council, the Interactive Services Association, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, NorthPoint Communications Inc. and Covad Communications, among others." [Washington Post, 1/21/05]

Safavian Had Questionable Lobbying Past for Foreign Clients. Before working for the General Services Administration, Safavian had been a lobbyist with Jack Abramoff, and had founded the lobbying firm Janus-Merritt Strategies with conservative icon, Grover Norquist. During his time as a lobbyist, Safavian registered to lobby for various foreign entities including Abdurahman Alamoudi, who was in prison in connection with a plot to assassinate the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and Jamal Barzinji, whose home was raided by customs officials investigating possible terrorist front groups in the United States. Safavian also was registered to lobby for the African nation of Gabon, a country with a horrible human rights record, and the former President of the Republic of Congo Pascal Lissouba, who was tried and convicted in absentia of treason and embezzlement. Safavian was also registered to lobby for the government of Pakistan on arms issues. Safavian and Abramoff teamed up to lobby for the United States territory the Common Wealth of the Northern Marianas Islands' attempts to block minimum wage rules from being applied there, and lobbied for the government of Montenegro's attempts to get their assets unfrozen by the United States. [Washington Post, 9/21/05]

Safavian Lobbied For Questionable Foreign Entities, Lied About It To Senate Committee. According to lobbying disclosure forms filed by his firm, Janus-Merritt, Safavian was registered to lobby for Abdurahman Alamoudi. Alamoudi was later imprisoned for receiving funds from Libya as part of a plot to assassinate the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. In a letter to the Senate Government Affairs Committee Safavian denied that he ever had lobbied for Alamoudi. [Washington Post, 9/21/05]

Safavian "Overlooked" Questionable Lobbying Clients, When Filing Out Questionnaire For Confirmation Hearing. "Safavian also told the committee that he had 'overlooked' two other clients while preparing his initial submissions for the OMB position. He did not initially mention work as a registered foreign agent for Gabon, a country persistently rated by the United States as having a 'poor' human rights record, or his work as a registered foreign agent for Pascal Lissouba, the former president of the Republic of Congo who has been tried in absentia for treason and embezzlement." [Washington Post, 9/21/05]

Bush Administration Officials Named in Abramoff Marianas Trip Memo. In memos dated May 6 and May 20, 1997 Bush Administration officials are named as having traveled to the Marinas Islands while working for a lobbying firm. The memo shows that David Safavian, currently the Director of Procurement Policy at the Office of Management and Budget, was on the trip to the Marianas Islands lead by Abramoff and had his expenses picked up by the firm. [AP, 5/3/05]

Safavian and Abramoff Shared Clients at Lobbying Firm. In 1992 the United States froze all assets belonging to the Republic of Montenegro to prevent any of its funds from being used in the Slobodan Milosevic's war effort in the former Yugoslavia Republics. The Montenegrin government retained the consulting firm of Preston Gates and Ellis to help them get their assets unfrozen, and their seized property sold. According to The Legal Times, Jack Abramoff and David Safavian were assigned to work together on the Montenegrin account. [Legal Times, 8/14/95]