Ex-Bush Aide Decides Not to Take the Stand
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A former top White House official, on trial for a second time for allegedly lying and obstructing justice during the investigation into disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, unexpectedly decided yesterday to forgo taking the stand in his own defense, handing the case over to a jury.
David H. Safavian, the former chief of staff at the General Services Administration, told U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman he had decided the "right course of action" was not to testify. Safavian's attorneys called no defense witness, and jurors are expected to begin deliberations this week.
Safavian, 41, was the first public official to go on trial as part of the Abramoff investigation, and he was convicted in June 2006.
But a three-judge panel tossed out charges against Safavian in June. Prosecutors re-indicted the former Bush administration official in October, adding on two additional felonies.
-- Derek Kravitz
