Griles is the highest-ranking Bush administration convicted in the corruption investigation. He pleaded guilty to obstructing justice, the AP reported.
The former No. 2 official in the Interior Department, Griles admitted to lying to Senate investigators about his relationship with Abramoff, the central figure in a corruption investigation that has led to convictions of a former congressman, legislative aides, lobbyists and officials in the Bush administration, the AP reported.
In court documents, Griles minimized his role in the Abramoff scandal. He said he never accepted anything of value from Abramoff and he asked a judge to consider his career of public service, the AP reported. Prosecutors painted a different picture. They described Griles as Abramoff's key contact in the Interior Department, an important agency for a lobbyist whose clients included Indian tribes.-New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants
