Justice official linked to Abramoff

ANNAPOLIS, Md., April 22 (UPI) -- Criminal papers filed in Maryland claim a former U.S. Justice Department official helped an aide to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff in exchange for gifts.

A federal court filing submitted Monday says Robert Coughlin II, the former deputy chief of staff for the criminal division of the U.S. Department of Justice, gave "assistance to a lobbyist and the lobbyist's law/lobbying firm on particular matters before (the Justice Department) while" accepting gifts and considering a job offer, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

Though the filing doesn't say who the firm or the lobbyist is, the Post noted Coughlin resigned in April 2007, while under investigation in a federal case examining Abramoff.

Abramoff pleaded guilty in January 2006 to three felony counts relating to defrauding American-Indian tribes and for corruption. Two White House officials, a U.S. representative and nine other congressional aides and lobbyists were brought down in the scandal.

Kevin Ring, a colleague of Abramoff, lobbied Coughlin to secure federal funding from the Bureau of Prisons to build a jail for the Choctaw tribe, a client of Abramoff.

The Post cites unidentified sources saying Ring gave Coughlin sports tickets and other gifts through Abramoff's lobbying firm during the deal.

Coughlin stands accused of one felony count of federal conflict-of-interest violations.