As new trial looms, questions raised about prosecution of former procurement chief

To many, the name David Safavian is synonymous with Jack Abramoff, cronyism and luxurious international getaways. But for some who have watched the circuitous case of the Bush administration's former top procurement official unfold, Safavian personifies a far less conventional image: that of an unaccountable Justice Department obsessed with collecting headlines and high-profile scalps.

Safavian, the former head of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, has been in the crosshairs of federal prosecutors for the past five years over his relationship with Abramoff, a former lobbyist imprisoned for influencing government officials with extravagant gifts and trips. Safavian's first trial ended in a conviction, but an appeals court overturned the decision. He recently was re-indicted, and a new trial is expected to begin in December.

With Safavian, a character most describe as a small fish in Abramoff's big pond of infamous associates, the Justice Department's fervor in this case has many scratching their heads. "It's been overkill from the very beginning," says Stanley Brand, a specialist in ethics law. "I just don't know what else they want from the guy. . . . They should just move on."

In the December 2008 issue of Government Executive, Robert Brodsky explores the ramifications of the Justice Department's continued pursuit of the Safavian case.

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