Criminal Justice
DOJ’s Abramoff Probe Ensares One of Its Own
Posted Apr 22, 2008, 07:01 am CST
By Molly McDonough
A former Justice Department official is among those ensnared by a DOJ corruption probe into the activities of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Robert E. Coughlin II, who served in the DOJ's legislative affairs office from 2001 to 2003, was charged Monday in federal court with violating federal conflict-of-interest laws, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Coughlin is expected to plead guilty today in Washington, D.C.
The Times reports that Coughlin allegedly received an undetailed "stream of things of value" from a lobbyist.
Coughlin's connection to Abramoff is an embarrassment to the DOJ because, among other things, Coughlin became head of the criminal division, which was responsible for overseeing the Abramoff investigation. Also, in 2006, Coughlin was among a group of DOJ employees honored with the "Attorney General's Award for Fraud Prevention."
Coughlin resigned from the DOJ last April.
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