"Love is a many-splendored thing -- unless you're under investigation by the feds. Then it can be quite a nuisance.
Had J. Steven Griles not been busy with so many lady friends while serving as the No. 2 official in the Interior Department, he probably wouldn't have scored a date yesterday with another woman: Judge Ellen Huvelle of U.S. District Court, who sentenced Griles to 10 months in prison for obstructing an investigation into the Jack Abramoff scandal.
Griles asked Abramoff for favors for the women in his life, prosecutors said, and in exchange helped Abramoff's clients with their government business. One of Griles's girlfriends, Italia Federici, got $500,000 for her nonprofit from Abramoff's Indian tribes.
"I concealed the nature and extent of my true relationship with Italia Federici," Griles confessed to the judge yesterday in a statement interrupted by stifled sobs. Choking out the words, a burly, red-faced Griles told Huvelle that "this has been the most difficult time in my life. My guilty plea has brought me great shame and embarrassment."
And the shame wasn't about to end. "Even now, you continue to minimize and try to excuse your conduct," the judge told him, giving him twice as much time behind bars as prosecutors had recommended. "You went far beyond keeping your relationship with Ms. Federici a secret."
Some romantics shower their women with wine and roses. Griles did better than that. Prosecutors said he asked Abramoff to fund a charity proposed by one woman he was dating. They said he asked Abramoff to get his law firm to hire two other women he was dating. And then there was all that Abramoff tribal money that went to Federici. Two decades Griles's junior, she was the one who introduced the two men and eventually helped with the Abramoff probe after pleading guilty to tax and perjury charges.
When the Interior Department's inspector general looked into his dealings with lobbyists, Griles, a former mining lobbyist, sought the counsel of Sue Ellen Wooldridge, another woman in the department. Wooldridge, who later joined the Justice Department, became Griles's third wife in March, three days after his guilty plea."
Get the Story:Dana Milbank: Abramoff, Prison and a Crazy Little Thing Called Love (The Washington Post 6/27)
pwpwd Selected Letters:
Elouise Cobell | Bill Anoatubby | Jim Cason | Donald Hodel | Neal McCaleb | Gale Norton | Ross Swimmer More Letters:
Exhibit Volume 1 (PDF 266 pages) Griles Calendars:
July 2001 - February 2002 | February 2002 - July 2002 | July 2002 - December 2002 | December 2002 - July 2003 Relevant Documents:
DOJ Sentencing Memorandum | (June 15, 2007) | Griles Sentencing Memorandum (June 8, 2007) | Criminal Information (March 23, 2007) Other Documents:
Federici Charge (June 5, 2007) | Federici Factual Information (June 5, 2007) Senate Indian Affairs Committee Abramoff Report:
“GIMME FIVE”— INVESTIGATION OF TRIBAL LOBBYING MATTERS (June 2006) Exhibits:
Pre-2001 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | Undated | Finance Related Stories:
Griles to be sentenced for lying about Abramoff (6/26)
Letters urge judge against leniency for Griles (6/22)
Cobell calls attention to Griles' lack of candor (6/21)
Gaming not on Griles radar at Interior (6/20)
Griles denies hiding Abramoff ties from investigation (6/20)
Ex-DOJ official who backed Griles up for Senate (6/20)
Opinion: Griles did the crime but not the time (6/20)
Norton gave Griles credit for trust reform task force (6/19)
Neal McCaleb defends former DOI colleague (6/18)
Griles set for sentencing in Abramoff scandal (6/18)
Italia Federici set for guilty plea for Abramoff (06/08)
Abramoff investigators want dirt on Norton (06/07)
Italia Federici to plead guilty in Abramoff probe (06/06)
Griles marries former DOJ official after guilty plea (04/20)
Griles' seat on federal commission goes unfilled (4/9)
Norton associate faces charges in Abramoff scandal (4/5)
Former girlfriend of Griles a target of investigation (4/3)
House hearing on Lumbee, Virginia recognition (4/2)
Editorial: Griles deserves tougher prison sentence (4/2)
The downfall of J. Steven Griles (3/26)
J. Steven Griles pleads guilty for lying about Abramoff (3/23)
Griles shares two homes with former DOJ official (02/15)
Legal Times: Griles hid romance from investigators (2/6)
Abramoff's old law firm defending Griles (1/25)
Facing charges, Griles resigns from lobbying firm (1/18)
Facing charges, Griles steps down from federal panel (1/16)
Griles told of likely prosecution over Abramoff (1/11)
Griles a target of Abramoff investigation (1/10)
Griles said to be under scrutiny in Abramoff probe (11/15)
Abramoff to report to prison as probe gets hotter (11/14)
Abramoff scandal leaves reforms to tribes, not Congress (6/23)
Norton protected Griles after $1M investigation (09/14)
Wayne Smith fingers Griles as Abramoff 'point man' (6/22)
Abramoff White House visit coincides with Griles meeting (05/11)
Tribes, states weigh lawsuits against oil companies (5/8)
Norton denies fraud or major problem with trust (3/29)
GAO report warns of billions in lost oil, gas royalties (3/29)
Norton denies Abramoff played a role in resignation (03/13)
Tribes, states object to Interior's lack of audits (03/01)
Pombo starts investigation of DOI royalty program (2/16)
Bush, Democrats oppose $7B royalty giveaway (2/15)
Interior to give away $7B in oil and gas royalties (2/14)
Oil companies fall behind on royalty payments (2/10)
Griles trying hard to avoid Abramoff indictment (02/08)
Griles arranged for Norton photo with Abramoff (01/30)
Griles denies doing favors for Abramoff, tribes (01/09)
In the Loop: Griles attended DOI's Christmas party (12/16)
Norton refutes alleged influence of Abramoff (12/15)
Watchdog group sues DOI over Abramoff documents (12/07)
McCain expects 'lots' of indictments in Abramoff case (12/05)
Dorgan vows to continue Abramoff lobbying probe (11/29)
Griles intervened in Coushatta leadership dispute (11/29)
Inside the BIA, according to Jack Abramoff (11/23)
Plea deal cites members of Congress and another tribe (11/22)
Scanlon free after guilty plea in tribal lobbying scheme (11/22)
Charges laid against Scanlon in tribal lobbying probe (11/21)
Senate committee to continue Abramoff investigation (11/18)
Salon: Italia Federici a 'minor' Republican player (11/18)
Campbell denies relationship with Italia Federici (11/18)
Audio: Italia Federici testifies before Senate panel (11/17)
Opinion: Something creepy about Federici's CREA (11/16)
Opinion: Griles' role in lobbying scandal still a mystery (11/14)
C-SPAN Moment: Putting the screws to Steve Griles (11/11)
Senate panel sets hearing for Italia Federici (11/09)
Column: Where in the world is Italia Federici? (11/07)
Editorial: Steve Griles and the revolving door (11/04)
Griles, Rossetti to testify on Coushatta Tribe (11/02)
Griles called to testify on Abramoff scandal (11/01)
Norton associate to testify at Abramoff hearing (10/28)
Interior drawn into Senate committee's lobbying probe (10/26)
Abramoff tried to hire Griles at lobbying firm (08/29)
Gaming leads to new concerns about lobbyists (05/26)
Meskwakis gave $50K to group founded by Norton (04/22)
Griles fought casino opposed by Abramoff's clients (03/14)
Tribe gave $75K to group founded by Norton (03/14)
DOI investigates contacts with group started by Norton (03/03)
Report: Former Norton organization subpoenaed (3/1)
Tribes gave $175K to group founded by Norton (2/28)
Bush nominates replacement for Griles at Interior (02/09)
In the Loop: Griles forms new lobbying partnership (01/31)
Editorial: Good riddance to J. Steven Griles (12/20)
Norton to remain on job for second Bush term (12/10)
Top Interior official resigns from Bush administration (12/08)
Griles blames controversies on Bush opponents (12/08)
Report blames lax culture for Griles ethical 'train wreck' (03/17)
