David Safavian, the only person who went to trial and was convicted by a jury as part of the Jack Abramoff investigation by the Justice Dept., will get a new trial.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ordered today that Safavian get a new trial on charges of lying to federal investigators and obstruction. The court also vacated Safavian's conviction on two charges.
No date has been set for the trial, but the appeals court decision is a setback for the Justice Department, which went to great lengths to investigate and prosecute the case. Safavian, former chief of staff at the General Services Administration, is the only person charged in the Abramoff case who refused a plea deal and went to trial.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/17/politics/politico/thecrypt/main4186650.shtml