David Safavian, a former Bush administration official who was convicted of lying about his ties to Jack Abramoff, has submitted letters of support as he seeks to avoid jail time for his crime.

Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) submitted one letter. "When David was my chief of staff, he worked tirelessly in my Washington office. He would come in early, stay late, and devote his undivided attention to the needs of the people in Utah's 3rd Congressional District," Cannon wrote.

The letter drew fire from Democrat Christian Burridge, who is running against Cannon. "I'm against the revolving door between the Congress and lobbying offices and my opponent is not. He's also unrepentant about his connection to Jack Abramoff," Burridge said, The Deseret Morning News reported.

Rep. Walter Jones (R-North Carolina) also wrote a letter of support.

Get the Story:
Safavian case: U.S. Rep. Cannon calls for leniency (The Salt Lake Tribune 10/25)
Opponent takes issue with Cannon letter (The Deseret Morning News 10/25)
Abramoff Figure Argues for No Jail Time (AP 10/24)
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Court Decision:
US v. Safavian (September 11, 2006)

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