Another former Bush official implicated in Abramoff Scandal

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Former Justice official charged in Abramoff lobbying probe
Former Justice Department official charged in Jack Abramoff lobbying probe
ERICA WERNER – AP News

A former high-ranking Justice Department official was accused Monday of criminal conflict of interest in the latest case stemming from the investigation of disgraced GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Robert Coughlin was deputy chief of staff of the Justice Department’s criminal division — the same division handling the Abramoff probe — before resigning a year ago, citing personal reasons. He was due in federal court in Washington on Tuesday for a plea hearing.

Prosecutors accused Coughlin in court papers Monday of providing assistance from 2001-2003 to a lobbyist and the lobbyist’s firm while receiving gifts from the firm and discussing prospective employment there.

The lobbyist isn’t named but The Associated Press has previously reported that Coughlin was lobbied during the period in question by Kevin Ring, a member of Abramoff’s lobbying team who also is under investigation. At the time Coughlin worked for the Justice Department’s office of legislative affairs and its office of intergovernmental and public liaison, and Ring worked for Abramoff’s Greenberg Traurig firm.

Coughlin talked with Ring about going to work for Greenberg, according to an attorney with knowledge of the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation. Ring also provided Coughlin with meals and tickets to events, the AP has reported.

Attorneys for Coughlin declined comment and Ring’s attorney didn’t immediately return a call for comment.

The investigation of Coughlin’s conduct was handled by federal prosecutors in Maryland because of his ties at Justice Department headquarters. The document filed in court Monday is known as an information and is normally filed as part of a plea deal.

Ring and Coughlin worked together for John Ashcroft when he was a Republican senator from Missouri, before he became attorney general in 2001. Ring lobbied Coughlin and other Justice Department officials on a variety of issues, including getting federal money for a jail for the Choctaw tribe.

The Justice Department probe of Abramoff and his team of lobbyists has led to convictions of a dozen people, including former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, and former Deputy Interior Secretary Steven Griles. At least one current member of Congress, Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif., remains under investigation.

Ring worked for Doolittle, who is retiring from Congress at the end of this year, before going to work for Abramoff.

Abramoff is serving prison time for a criminal case out of Florida and has not yet been sentenced on charges of mail fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion stemming from the influence-peddling scandal in Washington.


Associated Press writers Lara Jakes Jordan and Matt Apuzzo contributed to this report.
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1 Comment

  1. I AM ONE FRUSTRATED TO SAY THE LEAST,HUMAN.EVERY TIME I THINK I COULD NOT POSSIBLY LOOSE ANYMORE FAITH IN MY COUNTRY ,I FIND I WAS WRONG. PEOPLE SERIUOSLY EXACTLY WHY HAS GEORGE BUSH NOT BEEN IMPEACHED AND TRIED FOR WAR CRIMES AGAINST US AND IRAQ. I JUST CANT UNDERSTAND THE BLIND EYES AND BIG MOUTHS OF OUR COUNTRY THEY SEE NOTHING YET ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING RIGHT YET NOBODY EVER DOES SHIT AND IM SICK OFIT DO SOMETHING RIGHT FOR A CHANGE AND IF WE DONT THEN MAYBE WE ARE TO CORRUPT AND NEED TO SEND A INTERNATIONAL SIGNAL FOR HELP FOR WE CAN NOT HELP OURSELVES WE HAVE BEEN INSLAVED BY OUR GOVERNMENT THEY TROW US TO THE WOLVES TO COVER THERE ASS’ WITH THE FEDERAL RESERVE GODS AND DICTATORS YOU KNOW THE REAL PEOPLE THAT ARE IN TOTAL CONTROL OF OUR NATION AND HAVE BEEN FOR 60 YRS AND MOST AMERICANS KNOW NOT ANY OF THIS THEY STILL THINK OUR MONEY IS BACKED WITH GOLD NOR DO THEY KNOW BUSH IS TRYING TO DESROY AMERICA AND CREATE THE NEW AMERICAN UNION KILL THE DOLLAR AND CREATE THE AMERO SO HE CAN PLEASE THE FEDERAL RESERVE GODS OR THE ROCKAFELLER FAMILY WHAT EVER YOU MAY CALL THEM QUIT SIMPLY QUIT BEING PUSSIES AMERICA GRAB A BALL BAT BREAK THERE DAMN HANDS AND SEE HOW MUCH THEY CAN TAKE FROM US THEN THEY CONTROL SO MUCH BECAUSE THEY KNOW IT WOULDNT REALLY TAKE MUCH TO STOP THEM WE OUT NUMBER THE GREEDY BASTARDS BY A HUGE MARGIN STAND UP TO THE BULLIES AND THEY LOOSE THERE POWER THAT WE ALLOW THEM TO HAVE PEOPLE ITS TIME TO STAND UP AND FORCFULLY RETAKE OUR COUNTRY FROM THESE CORRUPT BASTARDS

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