Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Former Senate sergeant-at-arms guilty of conflict Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 15:23:03 EST Message-ID: \SE A;NATION \HD Former Senate sergeant-at-arms guilty of conflict \BY Paul M. Rodriguez \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Henry K. Giugni pleaded guilty yesterday to violating federal conflict-of-interest laws. He admitted he accepted a round-trip airline ticket to Hawaii in 1988 from American Telephone & Telegraph Co. shortly after recommending that the Senate purchase a phone system from the telecommunications giant. Mr. Giugni, 67, pleaded guilty to "an accidental violation of law which led to a technical and nonwillful misdemeanor violation," said his attorney, Joseph diGenova. U.S. Attorney Jay B. Stephens said in a statement that Mr. Giugni will be sentenced Jan. 29 and faces a maximum of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Mr. diGenova, a former U.S. attorney, said Mr. Giugni never hid his acceptance of the ticket, valued at $2,722, and listed the gift on his required annual financial disclosure forms. According to papers filed with U.S. District Judge Charles Ritchey, neither AT&T nor any of its employees was charged with wrongdoing. "The investigation of this matter does not reveal any impropriety whatever in the procurement process in relation to the Capitol Police telecommunications contract" with AT&T. That contract was worth $219,000. Mr. Giugni, who works at the lobbying firm Cassidy and Associates, could not be reached for comment last night. Mr. Giugni, a former Hawaiian police officer and longtime aide to Sen. Daniel Inouye, Hawaii Democrat, is the highest-ranking congressional official charged under conflict-of-interest laws since the early 1980s. He is the first Senate sergeant-at-arms convicted for an official action. Mr. diGenova yesterday declined to discuss the case or speculate why the U.S. Attorney's Office waited almost four years to bring the charge. "The nature of the charge speaks for itself. We expect to submit material to the judge to aid in sentencing, and at that time we may have more to say," Mr. diGenova said. A spokesman for Mr. Stephens declined comment on why Mr. Giugni was charged so long after the incident. The Senate dropped the matter shortly after the travel arrangements were made public because officials determined it was an unintentional violation of Senate rules and did not affect the awarding of the contract to AT&T. Mr. Stephens said in a statement that Mr. Giugni agreed to pay the government $5,000 to resolve civil claims arising from his conduct. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM