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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.
COMMENTS
- Part of the reason I retired was the continuous waste of time (1.5yrs) & money (over $1.5M), to buy a COTS implementation of SAP (from a German owned company), & replace other two systems with it, with no customized front end user interface developed. In the end (after 1.5 yrs of tons of reported problems, & $1.5M spent), the agency abandoned SAP & went back to the old system, with minor upgrades. Problems with the SAP system (GSAP) were raised to the topmost levels of the agency (who only called the users crybabies). Because the system could not maintain financial integrity, the agency finally abandoned the system, and thankfully before it was implemented nationwide, and only after top agency officials left. Users had to manually enter data from the failed SAP system back into the old (and updated) system. Despite continuous feedback and advice from 99% of the users and their IT technical managers during the 1.5 yrs, the failing system and waste continued. I believe the system was put in place due to someone in OMB, who was an appointee, or due to Abramoff or one of his associates. EVERYONE knew the system was a piece of waste. I have always tried to save every penny for the Gov't during my carer, and seeing this waste continue (despite 95% of the users' pleas & advice) for so long, made me sick, and was part of why I retired. Many referred to the GSAP system as GASP (like a last gasp of air). Retired Employee Posted December 1, 2008 10:24 AM
