Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Bush's Procurement Chief: Then & Now

"I've got a good administration, really good people."
George Bush, July 23, 2004

"President Bush has tapped David Safavian, the General Services Administration’s Chief of Staff, to serve as the new administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy."
Then:
(June 15, 2004):
"If Safavian is confirmed, he would take office at a time of increased procurement scrutiny. Ethics fallout over Boeing executive Darleen Druyun's criminal plea, controversy about the use of contractors in Iraq, and revelations of questionable practices at F[ederal] T[echnology] S[ervice] could spur further investigation. Those who know him predict Safavian would move quickly to improve the management of services contracting, possibly by writing a new section of the Federal Acquisition Regulation."
Now
(September 20, 2005):
"The Bush administration's top federal procurement official resigned Friday and was arrested yesterday, accused of lying and obstructing a criminal investigation into Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff's dealings with the federal government.

* * *
The complaint, filed by the FBI, alleges that David H. Safavian, 38, a White House procurement official involved until last week in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, made repeated false statements to government officials and investigators about a golf trip with Abramoff to Scotland in 2002.

It also contends that he concealed his efforts to help Abramoff acquire control of two federally managed properties in the Washington area. Abramoff is the person identified as "Lobbyist A" in a 13-page affidavit unsealed in court, according to sources knowledgeable about the probe.

Until his resignation on the day the criminal complaint against him was signed, Safavian was the top administrator at the federal procurement office in the White House Office of Management and Budget, where he set purchasing policy for the entire government.
There's more on The Project for Governmental Accountability.

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