FederalDaily - June 22, 2006

Former GSA Official Convicted of Obstruction, False Statements

A federal jury found David Safavian, former chief of staff for the General Services Administration (GSA), guilty of obstruction and making false statements to investigators, according to a June 20 announcement from the Department of Justice (DOJ). The investigation focused on Safavian’s relationship with former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and whether he helped Abramoff acquire GSA property in Washington, D.C. In May 2002 Safavian accompanied Abramoff and others on a golfing trip to Scotland. Safavian was found guilty on four counts but not guilty of attempting to mislead the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. He had testified before the committee that Abramoff had no GSA business dealings at the time of the Scotland trip. Safavian—who also served as administrator for the Office of Federal Procurement Policy at the Office of Management and Budget—faces up to five years in prison on each count and a $250,000.

:: Back to Top ::

Amendment to Boost National Guard Status Approved

The U.S. Senate’s version of the defense authorization bill now includes a provision to elevate the status of the National Guard at the Pentagon. A June 20 statement from Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) confirmed the amendment’s approval. The amendment contains four key provisions:

• elevating the position of Chief of the National Guard to four-star general;
• directing that the deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command be a member of the National Guard;
• giving the National Guard Bureau the ability to verify equipment needs; and
• allowing the bureau direct communication with the defense secretary, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, state and federal agencies.

The amendment will now be debated by a joint House-Senate conference committee. The House’s version of the defense bill does not currently contain the provision.

:: Back to Top ::

DOE Suspends Controversial Contractor Benefit Plan

The Department of Energy (DOE) recently chose to suspend a controversial adjustment to benefits for contractor employees for one year. Last month Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) worried that the move would “undermine health and retirement” benefits for federal contractors. Under the plan, proposed this past April, DOE would no longer reimburse contractors for pension plan costs for new employees. In addition, contractors would only be reimbursed for the cost of a “market-based medical benefit plan.” In a statement on Tuesday, Miller argued that suspending the plan was simply a temporary fix. “This policy was never a good idea, and it won’t be a good idea in a year, either. Simply suspending it is not enough,” he said.

:: Back to Top ::