Former top Labor official charged in Abramoff investigation

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http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=43463&dcn=e_gvet


The former chief of staff at the Labor Department's Employment Standards Administration has been indicted on corruption charges related to his dealings with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Horace M. Cooper, 44, of Lorton, Va., was charged on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with two counts of making a false statement on financial disclosure forms, and one count each of conspiracy, fraudulent concealment and obstructing a grand jury investigation by making false statements to federal investigators.

If convicted of all charges, Cooper faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. He is scheduled to appear in court next on Sept. 9.

The indictment alleged that Cooper accepted thousands of dollars' worth of free meals and concert and sporting tickets in exchange for providing assistance to Abramoff and his clients.

Prosecutors said Cooper, who appears regularly on cable television, newspapers and conservative Web sites as a commentator, failed to report those gifts on his annual financial disclosure forms and then lied about them to investigators.
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1. Labor DEPARTMENT official.