Arrest opens new phase of lobbyist probe

WASHINGTON -- The arrest of a former White House official marks a new phase in the investigation of Jack Abramoff in which authorities are seeking to extract information about the high-powered Republican lobbyist.

David Safavian was arrested Monday and charged with making false statements and obstructing a federal investigation relating to a 2002 golf outing to Scotland with Abramoff; former Christian Coalition executive Ralph Reed; US Representative Bob Ney, Republican of Ohio; and others.

Safavian is the first person to face charges arising out of the investigation of Abramoff, a major Republican fund-raiser with close ties to GOP leaders in Congress.

Investigators frequently seek to pressure minor players in complex federal probes as they build a case against their principal target. ''You squeeze that person and hope he flips as you work your way up to the top," said Kirby Behre, a former prosecutor now in private practice.

Abramoff is under investigation for his lobbying activities on behalf of Indian tribes and his role in paying for overseas trips for House majority leader Tom DeLay. The Texas Republican has denied knowing that Abramoff paid the expenses.

Safavian, a former Abramoff lobbying associate, abruptly resigned last week as the Bush administration's top procurement official, three days before his arrest.

He had hid from investigators that Abramoff had business before the General Services Administration, where Safavian was chief of staff in 2002, when they took their Scotland trip, according to federal authorities.

Barbara Van Gelder, Safavian's lawyer, said federal authorities are attempting to pressure her client to cooperate with the Abramoff investigation. ''This is a creative use of the criminal code to secure his cooperation against someone else," she said.