E-mails show close Abramoff, Safavian ties

Evidence released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Justice shows a closer personal and business relationship between controversial Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff and former White House official David Safavian than previously released — including Safavian's help with Abramoff's plan to turn a well-known Washington landmark into a hotel.

A new batch of e-mails filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia show Abramoff was willing to use his ties to Indian tribes to gain preferential minority status in bidding to turn the Old Post Office building into a hotel for a client. The e-mails also show Safavian was feeding Abramoff information on the facility from the General Services Administration, where he was chief of staff.

Before being named to the position in June 2002, Safavian had been Utah Congressman Chris Cannon 's chief of staff. The e-mails do not show any evidence that Safavian's actions in helping Abramoff with land deals took place while working for Cannon.

Cannon has said he hopes the allegations against his former chief of staff are proven untrue but said Safavian should be "held to a high standard of law and conduct."

Previous reports on the two former lobbyists ties show that Safavian had helped Abramoff gain control of 40 acres of land at the Federal Research Center in Silver Spring, Md., for a private Hebrew school. Safavian also took part in the now notorious August 2002 golfing trip to Scotland, which framed the case against Abramoff's alleged misuse of lobbying funds from Indian tribes.

In November 2003, President Bush nominated Safavian to be White House administrator of federal procurement. Even at this time, Abramoff was still talking about the Old Post Office deal.

Then almost two years later in September 2005, Safavian became the first Bush administration official to be indicted in the Abramoff scandal, accused of making false statements to federal agents to obstruct their investigation into his dealings with Abramoff.

E-mail messages between June 2002 and February 2004 show Abramoff wanted details of the GSA's agreement with Kimpton Hotels turning the General Post Office building, also known as the Tariff Building, into a Hotel Monaco, so he could put together his own bid to redevelop the Old Post Office building.

Abramoff's e-mails include a draft letter that would be sent to the GSA from members of Congress calling for redevelopment of the Old Post Office building. Abramoff also asked for plans of the building and grounds.