The indictment accuses Safavian, who previously served as chief of staff for the General Services Administration (GSA), of falsely telling GSA officials Abramoff had no dealings with the agency at a time in 2002, the government alleges, that Abramoff was seeking to obtain use of two GSA properties with Safavian's assistance.

It also accuses Safavian of repeatedly making false statements to investigators about a golf trip he took with Abramoff to Scotland the same year. GSA rules prohibited receiving gifts from anyone seeking an official action by the agency.

Official pleads guilty to passing secrets

A Defense Department analyst pleaded guilty yesterday to passing government secrets to two employees of a pro-Israel lobbying group and revealed for the first time that he also gave classified information directly to an Israeli government official in Washington.

Lawrence Franklin, 58, told the court he did so out of frustration with a particular U.S. policy in the Middle East, without going into detail. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

As part of a plea agreement reached with federal authorities, Franklin agreed to cooperate in the upcoming prosecution of two recently fired officials of the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee, who were indicted for conspiring to receive and disseminate the classified information.

Franklin also told a judge in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., that he met at least eight times with Naor Gilon, who was the political officer at the Israeli Embassy before being recalled last summer.

Oakland, Calif.

Sheehan vows to continue fight

The mother who staged a 26-day vigil in front of President Bush's Texas ranch this summer told a fund-raiser for anti-war groups: "I'll be a grieving mom until I die because of the lies that took my son."

Sheehan's son, Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, 24, died in April 2004 in Iraq.

Compiled from The Associated Press and The Washington Post