National Briefing | Washington: Guilty Plea by Official in Abramoff Lobbying Scandal

A former high-ranking official in the Justice Department pleaded guilty to a charge of conflict of interest in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. The former official, Robert E. Coughlin II, admitted in federal court that he had accepted meals, concert tickets and luxury seats at sporting events from a lobbyist while helping the lobbyist’s clients. He faces up to 10 months in prison under a plea deal with the government. Mr. Coughlin accepted the gifts from 2001 to 2003 while working on legislative affairs for the Justice Department. He later became deputy chief of staff of the department’s criminal division, which is handling the Abramoff inquiry. He resigned a year ago.