Bernard Kerik

Kerik Faces Prison Time After Guilty Plea For Lying To Bush White House

Justin Elliott | November 5, 2009, 11:42AM

Former NYC police commissioner and Rudy Giuliani crony Bernie Kerik today pleaded guilty to lying during his vetting to become George W. Bush's Secretary of Homeland Security. It was the first of eight expected pleas, in exchange for which prosecutors will suggest 27 to 33 months in prison, the AP reports.

The pleas by Kerik, who has been in prison since Oct. 20 when a judge revoked his bail for giving out sealed information, are designed to resolve three separate criminal cases.

In the White House case, Kerik was accused of falsely denying to Bush vetters that he had an improper relationship with city contractors who performed pricey renovations on Kerik's Bronx apartment.

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Topics: Bernard Kerik, Bush Administration, George Bush, Homeland Security, Rudy Giuliani

Obama Administration

Obama Adopts Bush's State Secrets Position -- And Exact Language -- In NSA Spying Case

Justin Elliott | November 2, 2009, 6:03PM

Here's a good catch from Michael Isikoff on the new blog Declassified at Newsweek:

It looks like the Obama Administration is invoking the state secrets privilege in a lawsuit alleging illegal surveillance by the National Security Agency -- and it's using the exact wording used by the Bush Administration two years ago in the very same case.

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Topics: Bush Administration, Dennis Blair, Eric Holder, J. Michael McConnell, Justice Department, NSA, Obama Administration, Shubert v. Obama

David Safavian

Safavian Gets A Year In Prison For Role In Abramoff Scandal

Justin Elliott | October 16, 2009, 1:52PM

David Safavian, the former Bush Administration official who was convicted for the second time in December for lying and obstruction of justice in the Jack Abramoff probe, was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison, the Washington Post reports.

Safavian, who was chief of staff at the General Services Administration, was also convicted of lying on a financial disclosure form about the costs of Abramoff's famous 2002 golf junket to Scotland, which Safavian attended.

The Post reports that Safavian, whose wife is pregnant, made a plea for leniency to the judge today:

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Topics: Bush Administration, David Safavian, General Services Administration, Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring, Lobbyists