United States v. Safavian

528 F.3d 957 (2008)

From our private database of 46,300+ case briefs, written and edited by humans—never with AI.

United States v. Safavian

United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
528 F.3d 957 (2008)

SR

Facts

David Safavian (defendant) was the chief of staff of the General Services Administration (GSA). While holding this position, Safavian’s close friend, Jack Abramoff, requested information regarding two properties controlled by GSA: White Oak in Maryland and the Old Post Office in Washington, D.C. Safavian provided Abramoff with internal GSA information and attempted to assist Abramoff in developing these properties. Abramoff and Safavian’s efforts did not succeed, and the properties remained under GSA’s control. During these discussions, Abramoff invited Safavian on a trip to Scotland and London and chartered a plane to transport them. Safavian sought advice from GSA’s general counsel about whether he could accept free air travel as a gift. In his request, Safavian stated that he would be paying for his own accommodations, meals, and golfing fees and that Abramoff had no business before GSA. Based on this information, a GSA ethics officer advised Safavian that he could accept the transportation as a gift. Prior to departing, Safavian paid Abramoff $3,100 to cover the costs of the trip. Subsequently, GSA agent Gregory Rowe began investigating the trip. Safavian told Rowe that he paid for his trip, including airfare, and stated that Abramoff did not have business before GSA. Safavian omitted mention of Abramoff’s interest in White Oak and the Old Post Office. A Senate committee later began investigating Abramoff and requested that Safavian produce all records relating to the trip. Safavian informed the committee that he had paid for the cost of the trip and that Abramoff had no business before GSA at the time. Safavian was indicted for falsifying and concealing material facts in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(1) and obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U.S.C § 1505. At trial, Safavian contended that it was reasonable for him to believe that his $3,100 check would cover the cost of the trip, notwithstanding the trip’s lavish nature. Safavian also attempted to introduce expert testimony asserting that among government-contract professionals, doing business with an agency involves having a contract with that agency. The district court did not permit Safavian to present the expert testimony. Safavian was convicted on all counts. Safavian appealed.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Randolph, J.)

What to do next…

  1. Unlock this case brief with a free (no-commitment) trial membership of Quimbee.

    You’ll be in good company: Quimbee is one of the most widely used and trusted sites for law students, serving more than 815,000 law students since 2011. Some law schools even subscribe directly to Quimbee for all their law students.

  2. Learn more about Quimbee’s unique (and proven) approach to achieving great grades at law school.

    Quimbee is a company hell-bent on one thing: helping you get an “A” in every course you take in law school, so you can graduate at the top of your class and get a high-paying law job. We’re not just a study aid for law students; we’re the study aid for law students.

Here's why 815,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,300 briefs, keyed to 988 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
  • The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
  • Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership
Here's why 815,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
  • Reliable - written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students
  • The right length and amount of information - includes the facts, issue, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents
  • Access in your class - works on your mobile and tablet
  • 46,300 briefs - keyed to 988 casebooks
  • Uniform format for every case brief
  • Written in plain English - not in legalese and not just repeating the court's language
  • Massive library of related video lessons - and practice questions
  • Top-notch customer support

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership