Tipping Abramoff

Federal prosecutors continue to play hardball with former OMB procurement chief in pursuing their charges that he lied and obstructed an investigation into superlobbyist Jack Abramoff. In court papers filed Friday, the government said that in November 2003, Safavian tipped off Abramoff that GSA was about to suspend the federal contracts of one of his clients, Tyco International. Not only that, Safavian told Abramoff what kind of strategy Tyco should use to appeal the suspension decision, prosecutors say. Safavian's lawyer fired back in the Washington Post Saturday, calling the government's filing "trash-talk trial tactics...designed to muddy David's reputation."