Cubin, Sansonetti plead for a friend (Griles)

Source: Star-Tribune

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Two Wyoming political figures have written letters to a federal judge, requesting leniency in sentencing the former No. 2 official in the Interior Department who pleaded guilty to obstructing justice by lying to a Senate committee.

J. Steven Griles is the second-highest-level Bush administration official to be caught up in the ongoing Department of Justice investigation of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Although Griles initially denied doing any favors for Abramoff’s casino-owning Indian tribe clients, court records show that Griles inserted himself into several casino cases at Interior.

U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo., and Tom Sansonetti, former assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice's environment and natural resources division, have both written to Judge Ellen Huvelle of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The two Wyoming Republicans are part of an effort by 91 people to convince the judge that Griles should not be sentenced to prison, but should instead be given three months' home confinement, 500 hours of community service and a "reasonable" $15,000 fine when he is sentenced June 26.

Sansonetti is an applicant for the vacant seat in the U.S. Senate left by the late Craig Thomas.

The 91 people also include three Republican-era former secretaries of Interior and Idaho Gov. Butch Otter. Cubin was the only member of Congress to go to bat for Griles.




Read more: http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/06/17/news/wyoming/18e3c9f4105b8b38872572fb0083011a.txt

Griles merits leniency, ex-officials say
The former deputy secretary of the Interior could get prison for lying to Senate investigators in the Abramoff scandal.
By Henry Weinstein, Times Staff Writer
June 24, 2007


Former Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton is urging a federal judge in Washington to show leniency in sentencing her former top deputy, but leaders of Indian and environmental organizations want J. Steven Griles to be given a stiff sentence for his crimes.

Once described by GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff as "our guy" at the Interior Department, Griles pleaded guilty in March to lying to Senate investigators as they looked into the scandal surrounding Abramoff. Abramoff pleaded guilty last year to a scheme of fraud and tax evasion.

Griles, Norton's chief deputy from 2001 to 2005, admitted that he lied when he told Senate investigators and the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in 2005 that Abramoff had no special access to his office. Abramoff had "instant and continued access to Griles" upon meeting him and forcefully sought assistance from the Interior Department for the tribes he represented, according to court documents.

Griles also admitted to not fully disclosing his romantic relationship with Italia Federici, a Republican environmental lobbyist who worked for Abramoff and introduced him to Griles.


more:http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-griles24jun24,1,5150059.story?track=rss

So far they only have 91 people defending Griles.

Shouldn't we also be writing the Judge to explain that "when you do the CRIME, you have have to DO the TIME" ???

If I knew where to send a letter I would do so in an instant. I have done a google search and haven't found one yet. Can anyone else know where to send letters???

Why should ANY of these criminals get time off for their bad behavior?
How many people who are locked up for non violent crimes, who also have families???

I know DUers would help with our own campaign to make sure the Judges aren't only hearing from their side.

What say you DUers?
Can I get a show of hands???