In the letter, Cannon called Safavian a "decent man who made an error in judgment" and argued that separating Safavian from his wife and daughter would "not do anyone any good."

"The guy made a mistake," Cannon said. "He went through a trial that cost him everything."

E-mails presented at trial showed how Abramoff showered Safavian with trips and other perks while badgering him for information about GSA-controlled property the lobbyist wanted — including the historic Old Post Office in downtown Washington.

Defense attorneys wrote that Safavian did not harm anybody and committed no fraudulent acts. They have presented a list of past cases they believe are comparable.

That list includes: Henry Cisneros, the Clinton administration housing secretary who paid a $10,000 fine for lying to the FBI about payments to an ex-mistress; former Rep. Chris Perkins, D-Ky., who was sentenced to three months in a halfway house in 2000 for lying to a probation officer about his income; and businesswoman Martha Stewart, who received five months in prison for lying to investigators about a stock sale.

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Contributing: Associated Press

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E-mail: jtwitchell@desnews.com